People like babies, because their smiles are contagious. We like to goof around with them, mimic their expressions, watch them get all excited, and when they start crying, we just give them back to mom. They’re so simple.
We tend to think that babies don’t think, even though there is much more proof that they do than that they don’t. One look into their endearing little eyes should tell us that there’s a lot going on behind the screen that we don’t know about, yet. But once they start talking, they will surprise you and even catch you off guard. There is actually a lot more neuron-firing going on inside a baby’s little head than there is going on inside your’s right now — that’s also proportionate to whether or not you’ve had your fix of coffee this morning yet.
Since we can’t tell what is going on inside a baby’s mind, we have a tendency to project our thoughts on the baby’s thoughts and put our words in to his/her mouth. That’s why we’ve invented the “baby meme.” It’s irresistible. You just take any old picture of a baby, add a caption or two and… Bingo!
It’s a Baby Meme! 🙂
Baby meme, Bay-Bee!
Su-weet! Now everyone can relate!
They think, “Yes! I empathize with that kid! He thinks and feels the way I think and feel (or felt… x months ago… I’m well beyond that now…).”
Out of respect for the baby, of course, we reserve our more sophisticated thoughts for more educated memeheads. Babies, after all, are not capable of comprehending deeper, more complicated issues like reproductive rights and HHS Mandates. Besides, we wouldn’t want to irreverence the baby with our sullied issues.
For the deeper questions, we need deeper heads — preferably college aged heads — somber thoughtful faces on which to project our more pointed thoughts; thoughts that will perplex the simple minded; questions that will make them question; and the convincing glare of youthful wisdom that will force lesser minds to reflect, ponder, and recognize the depth of their doltish ignorance.
For this, we need the enlightened teen meme.
Invasion of the Memeheads — They’re Taking Over Your Brain!
Truly spoken like an adolescent. Such memes appeal to the adolescent mind (which can also be the unformed adult mind still clinging to its adolescence).
The hidden point to this meme and several like it is not what it seems. The point is not to get people to think, but rather to get people not to think. Because you don’t have to think about a meme to get it. In fact, this meme just forces your brain not to think. The rational left side of your brain subsides to the image driven-right side, which instantaneously hits the “like” and “share” buttons on Facebook and says…
“Yeah! I get it! How could anyone be pro-life and against universal healthcare? Those idiots haven’t thought through their own position!” Or else, it stimulates an instant brain freeze and makes you say, “Huh? Wait a minute… I need a whole nuther cup of coffee. Let me get back to you on that one.” That is, if you happen to be pro-life and not necessarily against universal healthcare, per se. And unless, weren’t prepared for a half-baked question that recklessly mixes and conflates these issues and tries to pass them off as something you’ve never considered before.
Since I have addressed this very issue concerning universal healthcare elsewhere, I am not going to take it up as a tangent here — though I will take it up again at a later date on one of the next 7 pre-election Mondays, because this is a very serious issue. It is not the one we want to focus on now, because, evidently, before we start thinking about the subtleties involved here, we first need to start actually thinking. Okay? Okay… here’s the biltrix…
Stop it with stupid memes already! Do you really think people are that stupid? If the people who find your thoughtless slogans appealing are precisely the ones you are trying to attract, what does that say about you and your group-think, Facebook-like-click, everybody retweet campaigning methods?
Their strategy is as clear as mud, that is, not clear at all to the unthinking adolescent mind (that’s not restricted to just the age on your driver’s license either). The strategy of groups like Moron.org (sorry about the typo… I meant Move-on.org) is to get rid of thinking once and for all. They give you the semblance of thought, and actually the semblance that you’re the one doing the thinking. But if you buy into it, they’ve done the thinking for you. The thinking person will actually think it through before he jumps on the slogan wagon, whether he or she is pro-life or pro-abortion, pro-ObamaCare or not (or any possible admixture of the above).
The social memes we use are are a reflection of our culture. Are we an adult, adolescent, or baby culture? If we let adolescent and baby memes do the thinking for us on the important issues, we are not thinking for ourselves. Before you pass it on, give it some thought first, and make sure it reflects what you truly think.
Biltrix 
Great Post!
Thanks, Daniel! God bless!
I’m glad you’re taking up the Catholic vote question before the election. More needs to be done especially if the polls are any indication of the thought, or lack of, that is prevalent these days.
I don’t know how much we can rely on the polls, but if they serve as an indication of what and how people think these days, you are right, there’s a lot of work to be done.
I posted and then quickly deleted a meme last night because I realized it might not be what I really wanted to say. I can’t stand that red-eyed girl on the large meme up there. Did it ever occur to whoever made it that having a tantrum because she didn’t hear us the ten million times we walked her through it in slow motion is not exactly a point in favor of her credibility? Thanks for the reminder to think. Good post.
It is as though they’ve never heard it before. And maybe they haven’t. I don’t expect reality TV shows to explain complicated issues all that thoroughly. Again, it is a question of maturity.
Thanks for the comment!
Timely reminder that we can easily disengage our brains when considering serious issues. Thought-provoking post as ever! God bless!
Thanks! The onslaught of cultural interest groups is thick right now. It is not just a matter of getting people to think, but to help them to think correctly. This is an uphill battle, but worth the fight, nonetheless. God bless you too!
It all goes back to “think for yourself, and stop hopping on every band wagon that comes your way.” People love “band wagons” and in doing so, they do cease to be “free thinkers.” That is what this administration depends on! Good post and God Bless, SR
Ironically, a lot of people would call themselves free thinkers who don’t ever question these things; instead, they question the gospel and every other truth. They may never know the meaning of the words, “The truth will set you free.”
It seems that Facebook has become a vehicle for every irritating meme out there. It boggles the mind how they became so popular. Reality shows, like you mentioned above, are equally annoying.
As mind-boggling as it is, that is our slogan driven culture. I think it shows that people know that something is not quite right with the way things are. Thirsting for anything with some substance to it, they follow every new trend like sheep following sheep. They desperately need a Good Shepherd.
Look at the eyes, the baby knows the teen does not. Off topic, I know. In my classes the thinking process brought my students actual pain, guess that’s why most will take the short cut which isn’t thinking…
That pain is not a bad thing. Pain itself is not a good thing, of course, but growing pains are a sign of a positive maturing process. When a lot of my students would tell me they felt like they were getting dumber, I would point out to them where they were before and where they are now and then ask them where they expected to be by the end of the course. I would also assure them that the results would eventually far exceed their expectations. When they look back now, they realize that they see the world with completely different eyes than they did before. The pain is worth it, or as the Ancient Greeks taught us: No Pain, No Gain (paraphrasing their thoughts). In their words: pathei mathos, learning comes though experience. The greek word for experience, pathos also means suffering.
You are so right. If we exercise the brain with thinking often and regularly the pain is not so instense. I taught middle school and they were beginning the process under duress. lol