What Is a Memeplex? And How Do Bad Actors Use Them Against Us?
A memeplex isn’t just a meme—it’s an entire system of interlocking ideas that reinforce each other. Unlike a single joke, image, or phrase, a memeplex functions more like a belief system, shaping how people see the world. It’s the foundation of ideologies, religions, political movements, conspiracy theories, and economic worldviews. Once someone accepts part of a memeplex, the rest starts to feel inevitable—like common sense.
Think of it as psychological software. A memeplex isn’t just a thought—it’s a framework for thinking. It defines what counts as truth, deciding who is trustworthy and which facts even matter. It creates in-groups and out-groups, telling people who’s “one of us” and who’s the enemy. And it frames every debate in its own terms, making opposition seem foolish, evil, or simply irrelevant.
And this is where things get dangerous. A memeplex isn’t necessarily bad because it’s false. It’s dangerous because it rewires how people think, making them resistant—sometimes completely immune—to counterarguments.
How Bad Actors Use Memeplexes Against Us
Authoritarians, disinformation agents, corporate propagandists, and political operatives all understand this. They’ve weaponized memeplexes to control public perception, spread misinformation, and consolidate power. And they do it in three key ways.
1. They Create Memeplexes That Are Self-Sealing
A well-designed manipulative memeplex is like a trap: any attempt to argue against it actually strengthens it.
Take conspiracy theories like QAnon, anti-vaxx movements, or flat-earth beliefs. They follow the same pattern:
“They are lying to you.”
“Only we know the truth.”
“Any evidence against us is fake.”
This works because it turns all outside information into something suspicious. Once inside the memeplex, followers become impervious to reason—skepticism itself is pre-built into the system.
Or consider political cultism:
“The mainstream media is biased.”
“Experts are part of the deep state.”
“Anyone who disagrees is brainwashed.”
Now, disagreement itself becomes proof of the enemy’s influence. And if someone starts questioning the memeplex? They don’t just risk being wrong—they risk being seen as a traitor.
The best propaganda doesn’t just persuade—it makes itself immune to correction by embedding the idea that “everyone else is lying.”
2. They Engineer Memeplexes That Create Tribal Identity
Memeplexes aren’t just intellectual frameworks. They shape emotional identity. A well-crafted memeplex doesn’t just tell people what to believe—it tells them who they are.
Take nationalist propaganda:
“Our nation is under attack.”
“Enemies are trying to destroy our culture.”
“Only true patriots will stand up and fight.”
This weaponizes patriotism, making any criticism of the government look like disloyalty. It also frames out-groups—immigrants, minorities, dissenters—as existential threats.
Or consider billionaire propaganda:
“Hard work leads to success.”
“If you’re poor, you just didn’t try hard enough.”
“Billionaires earned their wealth fairly.”
This convinces people to defend an economic system that exploits them. It doesn’t just make inequality invisible—it turns poverty into a personal moral failing.
Memeplexes are strongest when they offer people two things: a sense of belonging and an enemy to fight.
3. They Spread Memeplexes Through Emotion, Not Facts
Bad actors don’t need to be right—they just need their ideas to be emotionally compelling. They rely on:
Fear to create urgency.
Outrage to override logic.
Humor to make propaganda more shareable.
Look at white supremacist propaganda like The Great Replacement:
“Elites are replacing ‘real citizens’ with immigrants.”
“Diversity is a globalist plot.”
“We must fight back before it’s too late.”
This taps into primal fears of loss and identity erosion. It keeps people in a constant state of urgency—reacting instead of thinking.
Even corporate branding does this. Companies don’t just sell products—they sell identities:
“You’re not just buying a product—you’re buying a lifestyle.”
“Apple users are smarter and more creative.”
“Tesla owners are forward-thinking visionaries.”
When people attach their identity to a brand, criticism of the product feels like a personal attack. Suddenly, they’re defending corporations as if they’re friends.
If a memeplex can trigger strong enough emotions, it overrides logic entirely. People will defend it reflexively.
How to Defend Against Manipulative Memeplexes
Since direct debunking rarely works, we need smarter strategies.
1. Teach People How Memeplexes Work (Memetic Inoculation)
We can’t just tell people what to think—we have to teach them how to recognize manipulation. That means:
✔ Showing how framing, tribalism, and emotional tactics work.
✔ Giving people weak, obvious versions of bad memeplexes so they learn to recognize stronger ones.
✔ Making propaganda detection a reflex.
Instead of just saying, “Fox News lies,” we should break down how its framing distorts reality.
2. Disrupt Self-Sealing Logic (Cognitive Dissonance Injection)
To break a manipulative memeplex, we have to introduce contradictions from within. Make the contradictions so obvious that people have to confront them—without directly arguing.
Example:
Memeplex belief: “The government is corrupt, but billionaires are good.”
Counterpoint: “Then why do billionaires fund politicians who keep the system corrupt?”
Instead of fighting resistance head-on, we plant a contradiction and let them process it themselves.
3. Make Toxic Memeplexes Look Ridiculous (Memetic Undermining)
Sometimes, logic won’t work—but embarrassment will.
✔ Mock the manipulative memeplex to make it socially embarrassing.
✔ Turn it from aspirational to cringe.
✔ Once a memeplex is uncool, people drop it without needing arguments.
Take QAnon. Instead of just debunking it, portray its followers as gullible suckers who keep falling for obvious scams. Once believing in QAnon becomes embarrassing, people will abandon it—not because they lost an argument, but because they don’t want to look foolish.
The War for Reality
Bad actors aren’t just winning arguments. They’re constructing realities. They don’t need to be truthful—they just need their memeplexes to spread better than the truth.
So how do we fight back?
✔ We need better memeplexes—ones that spread truth as effectively as disinformation spreads lies.
✔ We need to make people immune to manipulation before it even starts.
✔ We need to take control of the narrative—before someone else does it for us.
Because the battle isn’t just over ideas.
It’s over the structure of thought itself.
Of Fuckbois and Sperm Whales
I’m so honored to be the lead-off guest for the 7th season of Emily J. Edwards’ wonderful Fuckbois of Literature podcast! You’ll never guess what book I got to talk about!
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