Seth Godin quotes  a  NYTimes  article  about Zoroastrians who Keep the Faith, and Keep Dwindling as a ideavirus that is not working because …"they believe being good is just about enough and didn’t build enough of the elements of an ideavirus into their culture. "

"As they traveled the world, their attitude and hard work rewarded them with success and the ability to mix with other cultures. As a result, they were successful as a people but a failure as a long-term growing religion. It’s a fascinating choice, isn’t it?

Seth pointed out a sore point for me, I have a lot of experience with what the NYTimes article and Seth Godin are discussing (let’s say I lived though this point although I have no direct experience with Zoroastrians).  My belief is that any teaching or way of living should exist mainly as a scaffolding to help it’s original members and followers evolve - after that point (depending on what we mean by "evolve") the belief or religion served it’s purpose and will eventually dissolve from the same ether it came out of - people’s needs.

According to Seth Godin, for a successful ideavirus you need the following:

Bias for evangelism

Sharp distinction between insiders and outsiders

Presumption that insiders are ‘right’ or ‘blessed’ or ‘advantaged’

Proscription against intermarriage without conversion

Forbid one gender to work outside the home

Central hierarchy that maintains the faith and settles disputes

Offer significant (very) long-term benefits to believers

In my life I might have studied or brushed against 6 or 7 philosophies, studies, groups, cults and religions that, more or less, embody the seven points above.

Recently I took a course that was very helpful to me but it also reminded me of the same 7 points - I won’t name it.   I decided to take a brake and not go any further because the the course/philosophy that was to ease my tension began to add to it, instead.

What’s nice is Seth Godin has described the "Metrics" of an ideavirus - or a religious group, and defined success of the group on how well in can deliver on those 7 points.  The real issue is at what point does the ideavirus become self serving at the expense of it’s followers?  I think there would be a way to measure that point - but I don’t know how it would be done.