How to Examine a Meme's Fitness

How to examine a meme or post and discern its memetic fitness

  • Message
  • Trigger
  • Emotion
  • Progenitor Mechanism (CTA)
  • Social currency
  • Public
  • Value
  • Stories
  • Social Currency – the better something makes people look, the more likely they will be to share it
  • Triggers – things that are top of mind are more likely to be tip of tongue
  • Emotion – when we care, we share
  • Public – the easier something is to see, the more likely people are to imitate it
  • Practical Value – people share useful information to help others
  • Stories – Trojan Horse stories carry messages and ideas along for the ride