Thought germs can burn out because once everyone agrees, it's hard to keep talking and thus thinking about them. But if there's an opposing thought germ, an argument, then the thinking never has to stop. The disagreement doesn't have to be angry, but again, angry helps. The more visible an argument gets, the more bystanders it draws in, which makes it more visible, which is why every group from the most innocuous internet forum to the national 00:03:41 conversation can turn into a double rage storm across the sky in no time. Wait, these thought germs aren't competing. They're cooperating. Working together, they reach more brains and hold their thoughts longer than they could alone. Thought germs on opposite sides of an argument can be symbiotic.

Self-driving cars are fun because you never see competing SaaS products having a literal standoff in the street