A Straussian Meme is a meme that communicates different ideas to different kinds of people, according to their ability and willingness to hear the message. A Straussian meme has a specific structure: There are higher and lower readings that are related but different. This is called multi-level messaging. Those who accept the higher readings understand the lower readings but see them as "noble lies", "socially necessary fictions", or "useful simplifications". The higher-lower structure is self-stabilizing because of what level either conceals or says about the other levels. Whether Straussian Memes are intentionally designed or the result of some kind of selection pressure, my claim is that powerful and enduring memes often benefit from self-stabilizing stratified structure in order to maintain a stable and broad base. A Resentful Dad-Santa It's the holidays. A child is overjoyed to receive a special gift. Father knowingly glances at Mom and says: "Santa must love you very much to get you that special [ doll / action figure ]!" Dad is engaging in multi-level messaging. What the Child hears is: "Santa loves me!" What the Mother hears is: "As parents, we love you 'through' Santa! The idea of Santa is a way to make your world magical." But maybe Dad got the gift on his own (without Mom's help), and what he actually meant was: "I am a better gift giver than you, Mom." This is a more interesting possibility because Dad is using the idea of Santa as a bit of a shield: Mom can't retort to Dad's barb in front of the child, because it would destroy the noble lie that Santa is the gift-giver - a lie that both Mom and Dad are invested in preserving. On the other hand, the barb's use of Santa acts as a cloak: The child's ignorance insulates them from understanding the barb. Even if the child is beginning to suspect Santa doesn't exist, they might not be ready to part with a cherished belief, and this dynamic also acts a bit like a shield. There's a bit of a category mistake here...
First seen: 2026-01-01 22:12
Last seen: 2026-01-02 07:14