The Intellectual Commodity--Part II

In part I of this series I attempted to convince you that ideas should be regarded as intellectual commodities no less crucial to the global economy and our everyday lives than material commodities.

To summarize: information, ideas, and knowledge are no different from material commodities. They can be bought, sold, and traded. Those privy to certain valuable knowledge--how to build a fire was the example I used extensively in part I--have, over the course of human history, enjoyed positions of influence, power, and prestige. Furthermore, the value of material commodities such as gold, crude oil, wheat, etc. is largely dependent on knowledge. In ancient times, oil was used only in the making of pitch and asphalt; as such, its value was much lower than it is in today's world. You may attribute this to supply and demand--after all, nearly every human in the developed world depends on oil in one way or another--but this increase in demand is a direct result of scientific discovery.

Without knowledge of combustion, the demand--and value--of fossil fuels dwindles. Likewise for precious metals without knowledge of metallurgy. These are simplistic examples but no less valid. Extrapolate them as you like and you will find the same results.

Without knowledge, there is no demand.

The importance of ideas does not end with their effect on the price of commodities.

Look around you. If you're sitting in your home, chances are you see some furniture, appliances, electronic devices, clothing, dishes, etc. Beyond your possessions you may also notice walls, light-fixtures, carpet, and so on. Brace yourself: everyone of these things was born inside a human mind. The material objects in your life were literally manifested into being from the minds of their creators.


Even when ideas do not manifest themselves in the material world they can still have a significant impact on our lives. The concepts that dictate much of our behaviour--social norms, marriage, employment, laws, government--were not only born inside human minds, they also spend most of their time living there. The concept of family, for example, forms invisible bonds between partners and their children. The concept of employment creates similar bonds (though some might call them shackles) between workers and employers. Remember: these are all ideas, vague notions of how we ought to behave towards and treat the different people in our lives.

Again, the immaterial drives the material.

The importance of ideas cannot be overstated. They are the source of all human works and the glue that holds the great human organism together.

Which brings us to the world we live in today. Humanity's access to information is unprecedented. The advent of the Internet, along with wireless reception, smart-phones, tablets, and lap-top computers, has brought the wealth of human information to our fingertips. The Internet stands at the heart of this techno-information revolution. It is a powerful tool for humanity but it is not without fault. Its greatest strength--widespread access to information, a ready audience for anyone with a voice and Internet connection--is also a glaring weakness.

Everywhere we look we are assaulted with information. No sense-organ is left unmolested.

Finding factual information inside the hive-mind can be challenging. With so many ideas floating around, so many conflicting opinions and views, how can we be sure we are getting the truth? Is there even such thing as objective Truth with a capital "T"? Furthermore, how can we avoid being duped by charlatans and other unscrupulous types looking to purposely mislead us?

Imagine a friend tells you about an article he read recently. "Cigarettes," this friend proclaims, "are actually good for you! Scientists at the University of Kentucky ran a double-blind study proving that the negative effects of tobacco have been grossly exaggerated. They even discovered several benefits to tobacco!"

"But cigarettes are bad," you might reply. "Everyone knows that!"

But how does "everyone know that?" How do we know this information hasn't been falsified for nefarious reasons? What if cigarettes are actually quite good for your health and physicians, seeing that they would be out of business if word got out, banded together to form the most successful smear-job of all time?

Let's face it: none of us have actually conducted research on this matter firsthand. Chances are none of us have even read a single peer-reviewed paper on the topic. We trust secondhand accounts. We trust journalists--experts in communication--to take medical jargon and produce a concise, comprehensible, and honest summary.

Unfortunately journalists are neither scientists nor physicians. Some journalists specialize in particular fields but this does not replace years of medical or scientific training. Journalists also happen to work for capitalist enterprises. Media conglomerates depend on the sensational to sell copies. They also depend on the financial support of other capitalist enterprises in the form of advertisement. What might these media conglomerates do to sell more copies or please certain financiers? Might they falsify the facts, tweak them to make a more captivating headline? Or perhaps they could ignore certain events or topics altogether, or put more emphasis on trivial matters like celebrity gossip.

Okay, I'm not really arguing that cigarettes are good for us or that we've been lied to for decades. With regards to cigarettes, I believe the data is factual. I say "believe" because that is all any of us can ever do.Whenever we express a point of view--that certain commodities will go up in value, that certain diets will make you skinny, that certain ideologies will lead to everlasting life--we are exercising faith, that is belief lacking concrete evidence.

It may sound strange to profess "belief" or "faith" in scientific research; after all, isn't the whole point of the scientific method to eliminate guess-work? To reiterate: unless you personally conducted the experiment and penned the paper yourself, you are exercising faith, not in a deity or supernatural being but in second-hand testimony.

You put your faith in Fox News because, by God, they're unbiased.

The most ardent supporter of the scientific method is indistinguishable from the young-earth creationist. Both exercise faith; only the object of said faith differs.

Disclosure: I am not promoting a purely agnostic stance. I am not suggesting that we live our lives in perpetual uncertainty, unsure of even the most basic truths. What I am proposing is that we exercise caution when faced with conflicting ideas; that we not take one side or another at face value; and that we employ multiple standards of proof when absorbing any piece of information into one's collection.

Standards of proof are like scales that weigh the validity or truth of any given piece of information. There's a ton of them out there and, to confuse matters even further, different people employ (and value) different ones.

Justice may be blind but you don't have to be

Some people put their trust in the scientific method while others refer to personal or anecdotal experience. Many rely on the testimony of spiritual, political, or philosophical leaders. Atheists, for example, love to quote Hitchens and Dawkins while theists tend to quote scripture. "Science proves there is no God!" the atheists cry, frothing at the mouth. "God made science so he doesn't have to follow its rules!" theists counter.

Fear the person who claims to be 100% certain of anything. If history has taught us anything it is that we are more often wrong than right; that our understanding of ourselves, the planet we live on, and the universe that surrounds us comes in small, progressive steps; and that, with each progressive step, human understanding of reality is refined, always driving towards that elusive goal of objective Truth.

Sound familiar? It ought to. This long-term refining process fuels the universe and everything in it. We humans are just one of its many byproducts.

Next week we'll get to my favourite standard of proof: qualifying the source. How can we truly know the validity of information if we do not scrutinize the source of said information first?

(PS. This series on the Intellectual Commodity was actually supposed to be one post but it just kept growing. Now I'm fairly confident I will get it done in three. I like to go on tangents, in case you hadn't noticed. It's quite difficult to tackle metaphysical topics without straying a bit. Hope you guys are getting a mental workout because I know I am! /rant over)

The Intellectual Commodity, Part I

People have no problem understanding the importance of commodities. These marketable items form the backbone and driving force of the global economy. They also play a crucial role in our everyday lives. Imagine waking up to find our planet's supply of oil suddenly expired. How might your life be affected by this? How about the world at large? This is a matter of pure speculation, of course, but our reliance on oil is no secret. What would happen if the pumps went dry?

Hello, dark age, my old friend.

It's safe to say that our lives depend on the availability and affordability of many commodities. What many fail to realize is that information is also a commodity. Like oil, copper, rice, wheat, iron, gold, silver, etc. information can be bought, sold, and traded. Furthermore, the value of material commodities is intrinsically tied to knowledge. The two enjoy a symbiotic relationship, depending on each other in many ways. But more on that later.

Early humans knew the value of information and went to great lengths to preserve it. They invented written-languages and methods to preserve such writings. From baked-clay tablets to papyrus scrolls to paper, it's no surprise that with each improvement comes similar progress in other disciplines. Our ability to store, access, and share information is directly correlated to our overall prosperity.

Let us examine the tale of Prometheus for an interesting angle on the value of ideas. According to the legend, the greek god Prometheus, creator and biggest supporter of humans, steals the secret of fire from his fellow Olympians and delivers it to our kind, signalling the dawn of civilization. For his troubles, Prometheus is sentenced to an eternity of torture. Tied to a stone, he is doomed to have his liver eaten by an eagle (Zeus' pet) every day, only to have the pesky organ regrow every night.

I'd be sad too if my liver was getting eaten by an eagle :(

Surely this isn't how it really happened. The secret of fire was probably stumbled upon by some stone-age hunter. Isn't it telling though that later generations attributed the discovery to a god? This piece of information was so valuable, so pivotal to our survival and expansion, that our ancestors could not fathom it originating within humanity.

Perhaps the legend of Prometheus was inspired by some older oral tradition. Perhaps the tribespeople who bore witness to this momentous event deified the person responsible. Certainly the first artisans, shamans, and mid-wives enjoyed similar privilege and status among their people. Likewise for the first shepherds, shipwrights, and farmers. It is no accident that ancient humans assigned gods to oversee every trade. The old pantheons are packed with gods that represent blacksmiths, farmers, warriors, shepherds, prostitutes, and so on. Isn't it odd that, though these roles are all human inventions, later generations attributed their origins to gods?

New inventions to explain old inventions. Marvel at the human mind, ye mortals!

Let us continue with the example of fire. Before they mastered the creation of fire, our ancestors depended on chance for finding it in the wild. Once obtained, tribes worked to preserve the sacred flames. If the embers went out, these tribes were plunged into darkness and their lives became much more difficult. To them, fire could be a matter of life and death.

Imagine now the first few people who, through blind luck or careful observation, discovered ways to make fire without the aid of lightning. It's no wonder the lucky person who first succeeded at making fire was deified! Initially the process of starting a fire would have been imperfect at best. The rate of success would have been very low but that didn't matter. All it took was a single successful attempt to get the ball rolling.

Over the centuries the process for making fire was refined. New methods or techniques were discovered. Some improved success rates, others did not. If you read my previous post, you know what happens next: changes that improve the process are kept and reenforced; changes that hurt the process are discarded and go extinct. When you go camping, you don't make sacrifices to the fire-god or perform ritualistic dances before making a fire.

That's meme theory hard at work.

Prehistoric humans were just that: pre-historic. They had no means of looking back in time, no way to trace their own progress across the ages. It was impossible for our ancestors to fathom the millennia-long process of refinement described above. The art of making fire had come to them complete, a finely-tuned science far too miraculous to have been born of human thought. The story of that first fire-starter, like the process of making fire itself, would have been refined with each generation as well. Over time, the inventor of human-made fire became something more than human.

And that's how gods are made, kids.

Biological evolution, by the way, works in much the same way. Tiny mutations appear over the span of millions of years, some surviving and multiplying, others dying out; the survivors piggy-back on top one another, creating increasingly more complex organisms. The end result, finely-tuned over a sprawling chasm of time, barely resembles the starting product. Ironically, this phenomenon drives many people to an eerily familiar conclusion. Glimpsing the end-product, they cannot fathom the long process of refinement that led to it and attribute our existence--and the existence of the entire universe--to divine design*.

Despite all the progress we've made as a species, we're not terribly far from where we started.

But I digress. 

The value of information as an intellectual commodity cannot be overstated. Without knowledge of combustion, the value of crude oil would be greatly reduced. Without knowledge of metallurgy, the value of copper, iron, silver, and gold might be nonexistent. Seeds are worthless in the hands of those who don't know how to sow them and nurture them to adulthood. This is the symbiotic relationship I alluded to earlier. Material commodities depend on intellectual commodities--knowledge, information, ideas--for their value. Without knowledge, even gold is worthless.

If ideas are commodities then we're bound to meet people who stand to gain or lose from their acceptance or rejection. Next week we'll discuss the importance of validating information, standards of proof, and how to make educated decisions in the face of conflicting testimonies.

/rant over.

*Interestingly, this thought-process creates an unsolvable problem. If we argue that something complex must have a creator, we agree that the creator must be more complex than the thing created. By that logic, God must be more complex than all he created. Following this premise, we must agree that God, being more complex than the universe itself, could not have come to being by accident or on His own. Therefore, God must have a creator, and that creator, being more complex than God, must also have a creator. SO ON AND SO FORTH AND SUCH. /rant over again.

What is a Meme?

Most people think that memes are photos with clever captions but in reality, the concept predates "Success Kid" and "Forever Alone" by several decades.

The term "meme" was coined in 1976 by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his book "The Selfish Gene."

My trusty friend Wikipedia defines a meme as

an idea, behaviour, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. A meme acts as a unit for carrying ideas, symbols, or practices that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate, and respond to selective pressures.

So damn clever

The implications of meme theory can be a little bit disturbing.

As writer/documentarian Jonnie Hughes puts it:

If ideas are just like living things, then they are subject to Darwinian rules – inherently selfish entities, doing anything and everything they must to survive and propagate. And in this scenario, what are we? Little more than their hosts, their habitats? Vehicles to carry them from one parasitic generation to the next, coerced accomplices to their wild ambitions? If this idea has any substance at all, it will upset a lot of people.

Put succinctly, the question goes like this: do human minds spawn ideas or do they simply carry and spread ideas onward? Do we have a choice in the matter or are we the unwitting hosts of selfish ideas?

I should think the answer, as is often the case with binary questions, is both.

We birthed the first memes in our minds, as a reaction to various forms of stimuli; but once they came into existence, they took on lives of their own and became subject to the law of natural selection.

Some memes, reinforced by successful mutations, thrive and spread out while others turn out to be memetic dead-ends.

And as for the matter of choice, it seems clear that we can, under certain circumstances, choose to cast certain ideas or beliefs out of our minds. More often than not, however, we seem to be unaware of the memes we carry within ourselves.

If you want to find proof that meme theory is legitimate, you need only study the fossil record of human ideas.

Why don't we worship Zeus, Odin, or Ishtar anymore?

Why aren't modern nations governed by God-Kings?

What happened to the feudal system?

These questions may sound silly to modern humans, and rightfully so. We ride metallic tubes across the skies, communicate with each other via invisible signals, and beam the wealth of human knowledge across thin air to hand-held super-computers.

Armed with the scientific method, modern humans have laid waste to many long-held myths. We know that the Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, and Nordic pantheons are fictional, the product of human curiosity and imagination. We know that kings are just regular people, not divine representatives. We know that the feudal system was little more than organized slavery set up by greedy aristocrats.

To us, these memes are barely worth considering. But to someone living in the ancient world, they were fact. Countless people lived and died according to the whims of these now-extinct memes.

Memes evolve with our understanding of the universe.

From polytheism to monotheism; from slavery to Emancipation; from despotism to modern democracy: trace our progress from pre-history onward and you'll see the forward march of memetic evolution, punctuated here and there by a backward step (or three).

The role of memes in our ongoing evolution cannot be overstated: they drove our species from a ruthless nomadic existence to the relative safety of sedentary civilization, gave rise to countless technological wonders, and refined our understanding of reality.

Whether good or bad, memes are no small matter.

Which brings us to our second question: why name my blog the "Meme Merchant?"

In my first post, I tried to illustrate the importance of curiosity in finding peace and happiness. I likened it to a journey and I am all too familiar with the difficulty of those first steps. With so much information out there--so many selfish memes actively seeking to replicate--it isn't easy to find the kindling that will light your curiosity aflame.

This then is my mandate.

To sift through the trash bins and galleries of human history; to scour the minds of great thinkers past and present; to explore unorthodox ideas; and finally, to share my findings with you.

I'll focus on the memes that kick-started my curiosity, memes that offer practical advice, incite awe, or promote self-inquiry.

I won't shy away from memes exhibiting backward-thinking and irrationality, either. After all, even bad ideas have value, if only in teaching us what not to think!

Memes are all around us. They form the invisible glue that holds humanity together. No topic is taboo, no opinion or idea--no matter how irrational or emotionally-driven--is worthless.

Welcome to the Meme Merchant.

PS: For more on meme theory, here's a great TED Talk by Susan Blackmore. Sums it up very nicely.

Consult Your Physician

You know when you feel the weight of sadness. You're exhausted, hopeless, anxious, or bored. No matter what you do or accomplish, you feel lonely and hollow. You're perpetually hunting down a better job, a better partner, more money, and bigger toys, but nothing fills the void in your heart.

You don't enjoy the things you once loved. Things just don't feel the same. 

These are some of the symptoms of adulthood, a serious medical condition that is on pace to affect 7 billion people worldwide. Researchers have proven that 100% of children who survive childhood will develop full-blown adulthood, a chilling fact when one examines the symptoms listed above.

What is adulthood? Biologically speaking it is marked by the onset of puberty and the ability to reproduce. Thankfully our society realizes that puberty is an inadequate marker of one's autonomy. One must learn a great deal in order to navigate the intricacies and pitfalls of this world, so much in fact that it is nearly impossible for a child to adequately prepare for the inevitable onset of adulthood.

For this reason, most developed nations set a second marker--legal adulthood--located between 18-21 depending on where you live. This second milestone is accompanied by the ability to enter legal contracts, vote, and consume regulated substances such as tobacco and alcohol. Legal adulthood is also typically accompanied by independence from one's parents and the financial burdens that come with such independence.

As a young adults you were sent out into this complex world and tasked with making the best decisions possible, not only for yourself but also for those connected to you, your friends, lovers, business partners, co-workers, parents, children, not to mention the thousands of strangers surrounding you at any given time.

Were you sufficiently prepared for such responsibilities? I know I wasn't.

Parents, teachers, and peers teach to "do good" but what does that mean, exactly? My definition of a good life probably varies from yours, as it should. Travel to another country--one that is less developed, more conservative, less free-thinking, etc.--and we find yet another definition for the good life. How can one not feel overwhelmed when loosed into the "real world," equipped only with the tools provided by a mediocre education and your parents?

The bulk of one's adult life is spent doing mundane tasks--working jobs that do not inspire, obtaining education that teaches nothing, performing chores that incite dread at the mere thought of them. Is it any wonder that sleep, an activity that entails literally doing nothing (and was often associated with death by ancient humans), has become a favorite pass-time of the masses? Those struggling with adulthood will often wake up after a full-night's sleep feeling exhausted and dreading the day ahead.

If this accurately describes your life--if you prefer the nothingness of sleep to the wonders of the universe--then prescription Curiosity might be for you.

Curiosity is not a drug, nor does it reverse the negative side-effects of adulthood. Side-effects of Curiosity are euphoria, revelation, and awe--all natural cures for boredom, emptiness, and depression.

Always feel tired? Think there's no purpose to life? Maybe you believe the world is going to shit all around us. Maybe you think human nature is to blame, that people are inherently selfish, cruel, and ignorant. Do you hate your job? Your co-workers? Do you always fight with your spouse? Are you incapable of making meaningful connections? Do you constantly blame circumstances or other people for your troubles? Do you believe you're destined to die alone, a complete and utter failure?

Whatever your problems, the solution starts with Curiosity but it certainly doesn't end there.

Prescription Curiosity will lead you to novel ideas and new ways of seeing the world. Once awakened to the awesomeness of the universe, the symptoms of adulthood will abate. You will find peace and tranquility. Every revelation brought forth by curiosity will lead to innumerable others. The hidden paths are made visible by Curiosity, and they lead to strange and wonderful places!

So what are you waiting for? Take your first dose of Curiosity and see where it takes you! Indulge every curious thought. Seek answers to every question that creeps into your mind. Follow your interests, your passions, then seek out their siblings and branch out further. Who knows where Curiosity will take you? One thing is certain: it can't be worse than going through life unhappy and unfulfilled. 

DISCLAIMER: If you have been inoculated with religion, do not take Curiosity without first consulting your priest, pastor, or spiritual custodian. Only take Curiosity if you have an open-mind, otherwise you could experience mild side-effects ranging from irritation to complete self-deception. If Curiosity is leading you to disturbing destinations you may want to consult your therapist. Keep Curiosity out of the reach from cats.