Evolution Quote by Brian Boyd
“I think like almost everything in evolution, the old forms persist. New forms come along - not always, of course; there are species and whole lineages that go extinct - but basically novels and plays, and so on, will continue to exist. Jokes, as the lowest-cost form of narrative, will certainly continue to exist. They're a bit like microbes in the biological world. They're low-cost and they're everywhere. They're the most successful form of life, even though they're not the ones we think about most.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: "The Evolution of Narrative Forms", Brian Boyd, 2015
Narratives that are cheap to produce and spread, like jokes, persist and dominate like microbes because they replicate quickly and widely.
In simple terms: Low‑cost stories survive and spread like microbes.
Key Takeaway
Create and share simple, shareable content.
Themes
culture
memetics
survival
communication
humor
Mood
playful
analytical
Type
observational
insightful
When to use this quote
- marketing campaigns
- social media memes
- stand‑up comedy
- viral videos
- educational jokes
Key Concepts
memetics
cultural evolution
information theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How do cheap narratives shape our understanding of complex topics?
- What responsibilities do creators have when spreading viral content?
A Different Perspective
Complex ideas may be oversimplified when reduced to low‑cost formats.
![“They [my stories] evolve. If they're tightly constructed, it's because they're revised constantly as I move forward each day. That's where the structure inheres. It's all organic.” quote by T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c4/t-c-boyle-8108_change_they-my-stories-evolve-if-they-re-tightl_1920496.jpg)
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
