Debt is an idea virus

Richard Dawkins first popularized the concept of memetics, which describes how ideas spread and evolve through human cultures, much like genes. It is a valuable framework to understand the history and, more importantly, the story surrounding debt. Malcolm Gladwell further identified what makes specific ideas “sticky”—they contain elements that make them memorable and actionable. Seth Godin also expands this concept, calling exceptionally infectious ideas “idea viruses”—concepts so compelling they spread from person to person, growing stronger as they move through networks of human connection. Bingo. The most successful idea viruses don’t just inform; they transform how people perceive reality. And few ideas have proven more infectious than the belief that “good people pay their debts.”