A wise man once said "Free will is a myth. Religion is a joke. We are all pawns, controlled by something greater: Memes. The DNA of the soul. They shape our will. They are the culture -- they are everything we pass on." but that man was evil, and he was promptly killed by a deranged white African.

Anyway, memes. Everybody likes memes. Your dad likes memes, your grandma likes memes, and your autistic nephew likes memes. But I'm talking about the scientific definition of a meme. Not a funny image with a caption, or ironic repeating of sound and image. I'm talking about ideas. One of the definitions of a meme is "A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another." That's the kind of memes I'm talking about.

My previous statement remains true. Everybody likes memes. Because without memes we would have no culture. But are memes purely beneficial? No. Just like genes, memes exist for various reasons and have various goals. We all have genes that can make any of our cells cancerous. And we all have genes that cause balding. These are not beneficial, but they still exist for a reason. One to regulate death and reproduction in cells, another to make old people worry about losing hair. There is a reason for everything.

The comparison between memes and genes is not coincidental. Both are intrinsic to our existence, and both can be either beneficial, detrimental, or neutral.

Just like genes, memes can mutate. Let's explore an example, so we are on the same page. A simple, beneficial meme that is directly connected to genes is the idea of "family". Family is a good thing, we can all agree. It is good to have a family that supports you and you support it. It directly helps in survival. This meme can mutate, creating the idea of "tribe". A tribe is basically just a big family, the only difference is that you aren't bound by blood but by ideas. You are bound by a common purpose. That meme is still beneficial, but can create problems. We all know the pitfalls of tribalistic thinking. Now, let's mutate this meme again, creating the concept of religion. At this point, the meme is no longer related to survival or genetics. It exists almost purely in the memetic landscape. It is an idea of an idea. Yet it is still an idea of its own. An idea that changes, evolves, and spreads. It is no longer under the influence of the minds who created it. It is now an independent entity.

Religion is not the only rogue meme. It's just an example. Nationalism, purpose, race, property, money, all of these rogue memes have an immense impact on our everyday lives. So let me pose a question. Why do we let ideas have such influence over us?

First of all, adhering to the status quo is beneficial by itself. No matter what that status quo is. If the status quo was to sacrifice a puppy once a month to the moon god, the outcast would be the person who doesn't do it. And people are scared of being outcasts. People don't want to stand out.

That's exactly how morality is overwritten by social pressure. It doesn't matter if you think you are doing the right thing. What matters is if everyone else does it. Isn't this a terrible thing? How an objective truth can go ignored because of social stigmas and peer pressure?

So, let me ask the question again. Why do we let ideas control our lives? Ideas that aren't even ours. Ideas that are not only independent, but objectively detrimental. Is it because we're scared of going against the grain? Is it because these ideas have a hold on our minds? Is it because these ideas actually have benefits that I personally don't see? Or is it something else?

I don't know. I'm just bringing attention to something that's been bothering me for a long time. What's your take?

[EDIT]
I'm not saying religion in itself is bad. I'm saying the meme of religion is bad. There is nothing wrong with spirituality and belief.