Questions for Copycats
What do we share, and should we?
Wonderful ideas are contagious.
Anything interesting will be copied over and over and over until it becomes mundane (e.g.: art in all forms).
SO:
When we encounter something lovely, we ask ourselves:
Should I tell other people about this?
Yes! The world needs to be inspired, and I want to share this good thing.
Do I want people to copy this?
Yes! We need more of this in the world. This is a catalyst for the best kinds of activity.
Will sharing this inspire others to do more beautiful things?
Hopefully! And that’s a form of good progress, isn’t it?
Should there be more of this in the world?
Of course! We should encourage more of this—even if some people argue that it’s wrong in some way.
Is this something I want to become part of who I am?
Yes! I’d be quite proud to be associated with this.
But consider the shadow of the desire-to-evangelize phenomenon.
Horrible ideas are also contagious.
Anything horrible will be copied over and over and over until it becomes mundane (e.g.: crime in all forms).
When we encounter something horrible, we ask ourselves:
Should I tell other people about this?
Yes, if only to prevent it from happening again.
Do I want people to copy this?
No. We do not need any more of this in the world.
Will sharing this inspire others to do more horrible things?
Probably. And that’s a form of real harm, isn’t it? This is a catalyst for the worst kinds of activity.
Should there be more of this in the world?
Of course not! Why don’t want to encourage this—some people will even argue that it’s right in some way.
Is this something I want to become part of who I am?
No. I do not want to be associated with this at all, ever.
TL;DR: Share what you want to see in the world.