What makes a meme take off? The 3 rules of virality

What makes a meme take off? The 3 rules of virality

It’s hard to know what the first “viral” idea was. Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism certainly spread quickly, as did capitalism, the scientific method, and the nation-state. But these aren’t “viral” ideas in the sense that most people would understand them. To be viral is tied to some kind of media — a book, a newspaper, or a video. Well, in this case, the first “viral” idea was probably Martin Luther’s “Ninety-five Theses.” Luther hammered his…