Not as much effort but more fun than Sudoku. Four Things. What’s your four? I have not played Four Things (a “meme” from a few decades ago) in awhile, but received one via email today. I just had to respond. So will you. Sorry.
Four Things is a meme. It’s easy and fun to play, costs nothing, has no side effects. What? You haven’t tried this? You haven’t lived.
From Answers.com, more than you need to know about memetics.
Think of this as a virus that’s fun to catch, easily discarded, leaves one feeling good for the moment, and leaves no traces, side effects, vestiges, or residue (mostly).
Create your own categories, add your four things, send to someone else via email. Here’s mine* (not in any particular order):
Four Jobs I’ve Had
1. Pizza Hut server (really)
2. English Language Teacher
3. Public Relations account exec
4. Computer systems integrator
Four Movies I Can Watch Again and Again
1. Hunt For Red October
2. Driving Miss Daisy
3. American Graffiti
4. Titanic (newest version)
Four TV Shows I Watch Regularly
1. 60 Minutes
2. The West Wing
3. American Idol
4. Two and a Half Men
Four Places I’ve Lived
1. Los Angeles, CA (home)
2. Honolulu, HI
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Sarasota, FL
Four People I Want To Interview
1. Steven Spielberg (movie director)
2. Tera Patrick (porn queen)
3. Oprah Winfrey (Queen)
4. Steve Jobs (Apple CEO)
Four Foods I Love Most
1. Unagi and Anago (sushi)
2. Ultimate cheeseburger (Jack in the Box)
3. Haagen Dazs ice cream (a whole pint)
4. Pepsi-cola (can, poured over crushed ice)
Four Songs I Can Hear Again And Again
1. “It Was A Very Good Year” – Frank Sinatra
2. “(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet” – The Reflections
3. “Landslide” – The Dixie Chicks
4. “Black Velvet” – Alannah Myles
With some examination, you’ll find “memes” have more to do with how we think than just compiling a list of “four things.” Dawkins combined the words mimic and gene to form memes.
He thought that many cultural entities could be viewed as replicators, usually replicating through exposure to people. People have evolved to be efficient though not perfect copiers of information and behavior.
In other words, we are what we are because of our genes and what we copy (parents, siblings, neighbors, school, media, local culture, language, etc.)
*Deep thought notwithstanding, you’re still obligated to put one of your responses in the Comments section below.
I’m game.
Four Songs I Can Hear Again And Again
1. ìYou Don’t Bring Me Flowersî – Barbra Streisand/Neil Diamond
2. ìSex in a Panî – Bela Fleck and The Flecktones
3. ìBeautifulî – Gordon Lightfoot
4. ìHow Am I Supposed To Live Without You?î – Laura Branigan
I’m afraid to send that list to any friends for fear I may start something I can’t stop.
Any song can wear out it’s welcome with overplay, but the following would always speak to a special place in my heart:
Four Songs I Can Hear Again And Again
1. ìHere with Meî – Dido
2. ìTiny Dancerî – Elton John
3. ìPiano Manî – Billy Joel
4. ìOneî – U2
Difficult; I’ve changed that list 3 times. Only four? Oy!
Four Concepts that have changed my worldview
1. Paradox
2. Social constructivism
3. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
4. Think different
I have too many favorite songs to ever reduce it to four. I have been interested in change (paradigm shift if you prefer) for most of my adult life. This gave me a chance to boil down to its essense what has caused life change for me.
This is NOT so easy.
Four People I Want To Interview
1. Tera Patrick (the newer one)
2. Mikael Gorbachev
3. Aaron Sorkin
4. James Grisham
Four people who, in the space of less than an hour of conversation, changed the course of my life:
Pierre Trudeau
Heather McLean (the one I met on a high school trip, not the one I know now, sorry Heather)
Ted Shuster (a real apple retail pioneer)
Marnie McBean (row row row your scul)
Four books that saved (litterally) my life
Camus – The Outsider (the stranger in some translations)/The myth of Sysiphus (OK, I’m cheating but I read them both several times over a couple of dark days)
Khun – The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Bill Wilson – Alcoholics Anonomous
Dan Millman -The Way of the Peaceful Warrior
My four favourite people
Turner (my son)
Heather S. (my oldest friend)
Tom (the spiritual care guy)
Nancy K. (even though we haven’t seen each other in 15 years)
Four places that bring me solace:
The Arboretium in Golden Gate Park
Any sandy beach
A Redwood Forest
Big Sur
1. Edward Lee
2. Paul Sigmund
3. Harlow Drake
4. Kevin Chester
My 4 husbands. No last names, please.