Mimetics

One-line definition: The human tendency to mimic one another — related to but distinct from Memetics (the study of how ideas spread).

How sources describe it

• “Mimetics, which broadly describes the human tendency to mimic one another. There is a related but distinct concept of Memetics, which is the study of ideas in terms of their efficacy in spreading through groups.” (Dan McMurtrie, Tyro Partners Q2 2021 letter, via Open-Source Knowledge - Research)

Conflicts

• Often conflated with Memetics; the distinction here is mimicry-of-people (mimetics) vs. virality-of-ideas (memetics).

Related concepts

• Memetics — the related but distinct concept (virality of ideas) this page is defined against.
• Dan McMurtrie — drew the mimetics-vs-memetics distinction in the Tyro Partners Q2 2021 letter.
• Tyro Partners — source of the letter where this distinction appears.
• Open-Source Knowledge - Research — research note that surfaces this distinction.