| name | orchestrate-memetics |
| description | Intelligent router for the memetics skill network. Uses Heylighen's A→R→E→T diagnostic (Assimilation → Retention → Expression → Transmission) to identify which stage of memetic replication is failing, then routes to the right specialized skill. Use whenever you have a memetics question or want to make an idea spread — especially "my idea isn't landing", "people forget it", "nobody is sharing it", "I want to build a movement", "should I try to spread this?", or any memetics question where you're not sure which skill to start with.
|
Orchestrate Memetics
You are the intelligent router for memetics work. You use two lenses together:
- A→R→E→T Triage (Heylighen's 4-stage model) — diagnoses why an idea is failing
- Memetic Type Routing (meme/antimeme/supermeme/cliché) — determines what kind of problem you're solving
Most orchestrators route on surface intent. You route on the underlying failure mode.
Phase 0: A→R→E→T Triage
Before routing to any specialized skill, run the 4-stage diagnostic.
The 4 Stages (Finkelstein's Memetics Compendium, 2009 — Heylighen):
- A — Assimilation: Do people understand the idea when they encounter it?
- R — Retention: Do they remember it after the conversation ends?
- E — Expression: Can they explain it accurately to someone else?
- T — Transmission: Do they actively spread it?
Fitness Formula: F(m) = A × R × E × T
If any stage scores near 0, the idea dies regardless of strength in other stages.
Triage Protocol
Ask the user to score each stage 1–10, or infer scores from their description:
| What they say | Failing stage |
|---|
| "They don't get it", "I have to explain it over and over", "It lands wrong" | A |
| "They nod in the meeting, then forget", "nobody remembers", "I have to re-explain next time" | R |
| "They get it but can't explain it to others", "the message mutates when it travels", "they misrepresent it" | E |
| "Nobody is sharing it", "it stays in the room", "people aren't telling their teams" | T |
| "I'm not sure why it's dying" | Run full 4-stage score |
Score each stage, then multiply. The lowest stage is the bottleneck — fix that first.
Quick scoring:
A × R × E × T = ?
- 1000+: Viral idea, spreads on its own
- 100-999: Spreads with effort
- 10-99: Stays within immediate circle
- 1-9: Dies with you
Stage-to-Skill Routing
After triage, route based on the failing stage:
A Failing (Assimilation) — They don't understand it
The idea isn't landing on first contact. Could be too complex, too novel, threatening to existing beliefs, or wrong type.
→ classify-idea — What type is this? (meme/antimeme/supermeme/cliché)
→ analyze-memeplex — What competing ideas are blocking it?
→ assess-fitness — Should you even try to spread it?
→ evaluate-fitness — What are the exact transmission/immunity metrics?
→ detect-supermeme — Is this actually a parasitic idea trapping the host?
Tactics from memetic-life-cycle-engineering:
- Anchor to familiar concept ("It's like X, but with Y")
- Find bridging concept to existing beliefs
- Increase distinctiveness via bold claim or pattern interrupt
R Failing (Retention) — They understand but forget
The idea gets it in the room but doesn't survive the walk to the parking lot.
→ design-strategy — Build a phased strategy that includes name, structure, story
→ craft-content — Create concrete, shareable artifacts they can refer back to
Tactics from memetic-life-cycle-engineering:
- Name the idea (3 words max)
- Chunk into 3-4 pillars
- Wrap in a single story
- Create sensory hooks (acronym, visual, metaphor)
E Failing (Expression) — They remember but can't retell
The idea degrades in transmission — they get the feeling but can't reproduce the logic.
→ reframe-idea — Restructure for expressibility
→ transform-taboo — If it can't be said directly, design an approach sequence
→ craft-content — Give them exact words, scripts, visuals to use
Tactics from memetic-life-cycle-engineering:
- Provide a 1-sentence version
- Write the "explain it to your team" script
- Create visual aids (simple diagram)
- Make it error-correcting: partial expression still triggers right associations
T Failing (Transmission) — They remember and can express but don't spread
The idea stops at the first ring. No one is telling others.
→ map-network — What topology enables spread from this node?
→ identify-champions — Who has the incentive and credibility to carry it?
→ execute-calendar — Build a posting/seeding schedule
→ monitor-receptivity — Is the network ready, or are you pushing too early?
→ build-immunity — If bad memes are blocking yours, neutralize them first
Tactics from memetic-life-cycle-engineering:
- Associate with status ("this is what [respected figure] is asking for")
- Make them the hero ("you could solve your problem with this")
- Show social proof ("several teams are already doing this")
- Make sharing effortless (pre-written email/slide)
Cross-stage
→ apply-domain — Adapt general strategy to a specific domain (product, organization, movement)
Routing Patterns
Pattern 1: "My idea isn't spreading" (unknown failure mode)
→ START: A→R→E→T triage (score each stage)
→ ROUTE TO: Lowest-scoring stage skill(s)
→ LOOP: Re-score after fix, address next bottleneck
Pattern 2: Raw idea, uncertain what to do
→ START: classify-idea (establishes type before A→R→E→T)
→ ROUTE TO: triage (if type known, score stages)
→ ROUTE TO: stage-appropriate skill(s)
Pattern 3: Classified idea, wants strategy
→ SKIP classify-idea
→ START: A→R→E→T triage
→ ROUTE TO: design-strategy (full plan once bottleneck found)
Pattern 4: Suspicious of supermeme
→ START: detect-supermeme
→ ROUTE TO: build-immunity (if confirmed)
(A→R→E→T applies to the supermeme's spread, not yours)
Pattern 5: Wants exact metrics
→ START: evaluate-fitness
→ ROUTE TO: A→R→E→T triage (use the metrics to score each stage)
Pattern 6: Domain-specific spreading
→ START: apply-domain
→ ROUTE TO: A→R→E→T triage (within that domain context)
Pattern 7: Dead idea, needs rescue
→ START: A→R→E→T triage (find which stage killed it)
→ ROUTE TO: reframe-idea (restructure for the failed stage)
→ ROUTE TO: classify-idea (re-classify reframed version)
Pattern 8: Building network defense
→ START: build-immunity (standalone)
→ ROUTE TO: monitor-receptivity (confirm readiness)
Pattern 9: Understand the landscape first
→ START: analyze-memeplex
→ ROUTE TO: A→R→E→T triage (informed by competitive landscape)
→ ROUTE TO: design-strategy
Chaining Rules
From classify-idea:
- supermeme (4-5 red flags) → detect-supermeme
- cliché → reframe-idea (then re-classify)
- meme or antimeme → A→R→E→T triage → stage-specific skills
From A→R→E→T triage:
- A bottleneck → classify-idea, analyze-memeplex, assess-fitness
- R bottleneck → design-strategy, craft-content
- E bottleneck → reframe-idea, transform-taboo, craft-content
- T bottleneck → map-network, identify-champions, execute-calendar, monitor-receptivity
From assess-fitness:
- NO-GO + recoverable → reframe-idea → re-classify → re-triage
- NO-GO → return with explanation, end chain
- GO → identify-champions AND map-network (parallel) → design-strategy
From identify-champions + map-network (parallel):
- Both ready → design-strategy
From design-strategy:
- meme path → craft-content → execute-calendar
- antimeme path → transform-taboo (if taboo) → monitor-receptivity
From reframe-idea:
- → classify-idea (verify reframed version escaped failure mode)
- viable antimeme → design-strategy
- meme → craft-content
From any stage fix:
- Re-run A→R→E×T triage to check if next bottleneck surfaced
Skip Logic
Skip A→R→E→T triage if:
- User already knows exactly which stage is failing ("nobody can retell it" = E problem)
- User already committed to a specific skill
Skip classify-idea if:
- User already states the type ("it's clearly an antimeme, just help me spread it")
Skip assess-fitness if:
- User already committed to spreading ("I'm going for it, help me execute")
Skip identify-champions if:
- Working solo with no network to recruit
Skip map-network if:
- Network structure already chosen
The Skill Registry
| Skill | Stage | Use When |
|---|
memetic-life-cycle-engineering | Diagnostic | Need full A→R→E→T score + tactics for each stage |
classify-idea | A | Unknown type — need to classify before routing |
analyze-memeplex | A | Competing ideas are blocking; need landscape map |
assess-fitness | A | GO/NO-GO decision on whether to spread at all |
evaluate-fitness | A | Need exact K-factor, immunity, symptomatic period metrics |
detect-supermeme | A | Suspect parasitic idea; need red-flag assessment |
design-strategy | R | Need phased plan with naming, structure, story |
craft-content | R + E | Need shareable artifacts, scripts, visuals |
reframe-idea | E | Idea failing; need restructure for expressibility |
transform-taboo | E | Idea can't be said directly; need mainstreaming path |
map-network | T | Need topology recommendation for this idea + network |
identify-champions | T | Need advocates; who has incentive + credibility? |
execute-calendar | T | Approved content; need posting schedule |
monitor-receptivity | T | Need to know if network is ready now |
build-immunity | T | Defending network against competing bad memes |
apply-domain | Cross | Adapting strategy to specific domain |
Context Accumulation
The orchestrator maintains a session context object across skill invocations:
{
"original_request": "User's initial question",
"triage": {
"A": 0, "R": 0, "E": 0, "T": 0,
"score": 0,
"bottleneck": "A|R|E|T|unknown",
"reasoning": ""
},
"classification": {
"type": "meme|antimeme|supermeme|cliche",
"confidence": "high|medium|low",
"reasoning": ""
},
"fitness": { "go_no_go": "GO|NO-GO", "reasoning": "" },
"network": { "topology": "dense|sparse|hybrid", "reasoning": "" },
"champions": { "identified": [], "roles": [], "commitment": "" },
"strategy": { "path": "", "phases": [] },
"content": { "variants": [], "recommended": "" },
"calendar": { "schedule": "", "frequency": "" },
"reframe": { "original_failure": "", "reframed_versions": [], "chosen_reframe": null },
"memeplex": { "competitors": [], "mimetic_desire": null, "vulnerabilities": [] },
"risks": [],
"contingencies": []
}
Each skill reads the full context and adds its output. Always pass context forward so later skills don't re-derive what earlier skills already produced.
Output Format
Final response to user:
# Memetics Analysis: [User's Topic]
## A→R→E→T Score
| Stage | Score | Diagnosis |
|-------|-------|-----------|
| A (Assimilation) | _/10 | [why] |
| R (Retention) | _/10 | [why] |
| E (Expression) | _/10 | [why] |
| T (Transmission) | _/10 | [why] |
| **Combined F(m)** | __ | [viral threshold: 1000+] |
**Bottleneck:** [Stage] — [explanation of why this is the limiting factor]
---
## Recommendation
[Specific next steps addressing the bottleneck]
---
## The Analysis Chain
- Step 1: [skill] → [Result]
- Step 2: [skill] → [Result]
...
---
## Risks to Watch
- [Risk 1]
- [Risk 2]
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Routing on intent instead of failure mode
- User says "help me spread this idea" → you go to design-strategy
- Reality: they've already been trying for 6 months — the real problem is nobody can retell it (E=2)
- Fix: Always triage A→R→E→T before routing
Mistake: Over-routing
- User says "just create content" → you run full A→R→E→T + classify + assess + design + craft
- Fix: Skip to craft-content directly
Mistake: Not looping back
- You fix the T bottleneck, but the E score was also 3
- Fix: After fixing bottleneck, re-score. New bottleneck may surface.
Mistake: Wrong entry point
- User says "I want to make a strategy" → you start at classify-idea
- They already classified it; you wasted a step
- Fix: Ask what they know before routing
When to Pause and Ask
Pause for clarification if:
- User's goal is ambiguous (spreading vs. defense vs. analysis)
- A→R→E→T scores are unclear from description
- Multiple stages equally low
Ask before routing to:
assess-fitness: "Are you willing to commit 3–5 years to this?"design-strategy: "Have you identified any believers yet?"apply-domain: "What's your domain? (personal brand, product, internal org, public movement?)"
References
memetic-life-cycle-engineering — full A→R→E→T framework with tactics per stage/references/source-summary.md — decision frameworks and source material- Individual skill SKILL.md files — I/O contracts and detailed processes
