How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Idea Bait

Disciplines > Communication > Diffusion > Idea Bait

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

In the spread of ideas, there can be a particular aspect or sub-idea that acts like a fisher's bait.

In memetics, 'bait' is that part of a meme-complex that offers benefit the host, often in return for replicating the primary meme. Whilst the bait usually justifies replication of the meme it may not explicitly require it.

Example

In religions, survival or salvation are often proffered as ultimate benefits and it is this which tempts people into conversion and spreading the word.

Discussion

The idea of bait is not always a nice one. Bait can also be seen as the tasty morsel that hides the hook that grabs the person and does not release them, no matter how they scream and struggle.

Good bait and a soft hook leads to the person being reeled in without effort or even realizing they are on a line. When you swallow the sugar, you do not realize that you are also swallowing a much larger pill.

A critical idea in the principle of bait is that it is that which people latch onto, often so they do not perceive alternative threat signals. The notion also is that bait is not the real thing. In memetics, it is another idea that comes along with the bait.