Tracking Memes: the Great Humbling vs. the New Normal

My husband has been amused how many times he has heard "the New Normal" since I wrote about that thought some time ago (March 2009).  You can search for it on Google Trends (http://www.google.com/trends?q=new+normal) and see that though it was searched for since 2005, it was a news topic increasing in 2009. Interestingly, the Beijing Review recently attributed as an idea conceived by Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of the global investment management company PIMCO, and said it had become a main idea at the Davos World Economic Forum this past month.

• Nov. 2004 -- It began percolating as a blog/book/website -- http://www.thenewnormal.com/
• March 2009 -- McKinsey Quarterly piece with Ian Davis (worldwide managing director) asking us to think about the New Normal
• March 13, 2009 -- I wrote http://musings.maremel.com/2009/03/new-normal-or-great-panic-of-2009-2011.html, which evidently was read by at least two people, which debated whether this was the New Normal or the Great Panic of 2009-2011 (and the comments supported Great Panic).  I was probably starting to channel the gestalt. 
• May 2009 -- PIMCO published on El-Erian's comments -- http://www.pimco.com/LeftNav/PIMCO+Spotlight/2009/Secular+Outlook+May+2009+El-Erian.htm
• Business Insider Article, May 2009: http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-pimcos-el-erian-explains-the-new-normal-global-stagflation-2009-5
• May 14: http://financialjoyride.blogspot.com/2009/05/pimcos-mohamed-el-erian-on-new-normal.html
• May 2009 -- ABC News began asking their readers about it -- http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7639021
• June 2009 -- Baron's Article with JP Morgan -- http://online.barrons.com/article/SB124424132188690295.html#articleTabs_panel_article%3D1

Yesterday, my husband was reading an online article yesterday and was intrigued by "the Great Humbling" as a related meme, but couldn't remember where it came from.  It doesn't yet show up on Google Trends.  So I thought I would search it to see its incarnations:

• Feb. 1, 2009: http://elitrope.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/the-great-humbling/ noted that he had been using it back Feb. 1 and actually noted in his blog that "you heard it here first."
• Dec. 15, 2009: US News: http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/flowchart/2009/12/15/how-to-live-happily-on-75-percent-less.html
• It then was picked up here and lots of links to this piece instead of US News: http://www.politicalhotwire.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2743-the-great-humbling/ -- This seems to have stirred a lot of the pot, as well as comes up WELL above US News in searches for this
• Dec. 16, 2009: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_121609/content/01125106.guest.html -- ah, the ever-beloved Rush Limbaugh has moved to give this both legs and spin
• http://greathumbling.com/ -- the "domain name is for sale" on the website.  

Interesting...