---
type: source
title: "The Meme Machine"
author: "Susan Blackmore"
url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Meme_Machine
date: 1999-01-01
domain: cultural-dynamics
format: book
status: processed
processed_by: clay
processed_date: 2026-03-08
claims_extracted:
  - "the self is a memeplex that persists because memes attached to a personal identity get copied more reliably than free-floating ideas"
tags: [memetics, selfplex, identity, cultural-evolution]
---

# The Meme Machine

Theoretical framework extending Dawkins's meme concept. Introduces the "selfplex" — the self as a memeplex that provides a stable platform for meme replication. The self is not a biological given but a culturally constructed complex of mutually reinforcing memes.