The Business of Defense

The concept: The Body’s Immune System

Antibodies are small proteins that circulate in the bloodstream. They are part of the body's defense, immune system. Antibodies attach to proteins and other chemicals in the body, which they recognize to be not normally found in the body; 'foreign'. The foreign proteins and chemicals that antibodies attach to are called antigens.

The immune system recognizes antigens to be foreign and defends against them.

Each antigen has a different shape and so requires a differently shaped antibody to attach to it. Once we have been infected with a particular germ, the immune system 'remembers' the particular antigen on the germ and the antibody needed to attach to it.

Sometimes things can go wrong. If someone has autoimmune disease, the body will produce antibodies that will defend against normal proteins or structures in parts of the body. The immune system 'mistakes' a protein in your body and treats it as a foreign antigen; working against us rather than protecting us.

The paradox: Not all foreign proteins pose a threat to the body.

The metaphor: The Immune System of Ideas

@Ali Anani put out a Call To Action by forming The ConsortiumHive:

“We need to inject new ideas, new thinking and new perspectives from bees on different hives. We need hives to talk each other.”

Dr. Ali uses the metaphor of the human body in describing the exchange of ideas among hives:

“While each hive will have its own personality there is a desire that each hives is aware of what other hives are doing. Exactly, like the human body in which each system such as the digestive system to have its functionality and yet this system works with other systems in the human body.”

Dr. Ali’s use of this metaphor continues:

“Discussions have revealed that some ideas reach a point where "foreign" input from other hives becomes a necessity.”

The example: The WPD Hive.

In his buzz, @Ali Anani explains that in his previous buzz, Unexpected Passion Migrations, and its subsequent discussion which included a comment from @Fatima Williams and me, he formed the WPD Factor (Wonderment, Passion and Drive) as the main factor of succeeding in whatever we do.

Dr. Ali noted, however, a vulnerability in this formulation and stated: “We contaminate our emotions with many negative ones such as fear.” But, he found that the movement of emotions may help reduce the risk of contamination if the movement takes place within a cluster of like emotions. So much so, that even an experience like failure, within a cluster of emotions that are positive will not allow the negative emotions to contaminate the potential of experiencing the failure as a learning experience.

Dr. Ali ends with this caution: “Handle your WPD with care…it is fragile unless your self-determination forms a high enough barrier to contamination by negative emotions.”

I very much appreciate Dr. Ali’s concept of protecting a positive formula for change from the negative impact of contamination caused by negative emotions. This led me to think of building up the "immune system" of a positive formula so as to be able to fight off the negativity. From a preventative perspective, we can be alert and aware of "ingesting" and/or absorbing only the cleanest of messages from others and our environment. If anything does get through we can approach it from a detoxification perspective; "ingesting" and/or absorbing emotions and meanings that can cleanse the contaminants.

Dr. Ali suggests that the strongest defense of all is self-determination. Agreed. What follows is an expansion of the “immune system metaphor”; in regards to ideas and the risk free sharing of ideas across various groups or hives.

The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance. As a system it is comprised of many structures and processes including:

Being informed - To function properly, an immune system must detect a wide variety of agents. 

Being aware of and identifying deficiencies.

Pattern recognition.

Are the patterns of ideas enabling the growth of the exchange (fractally speaking) or is the pattern creating a rut, a loss of momentum and we end up just moving in circles.

A healthy system needs to possess and develop layered defenses - surface barriers (external, internal); complimentary system and backup systems, be adaptive.

In order for this dynamic process to take place, individuals need to be consciously connected to how they relate to their environments; internal and external. This ongoing checking in and assessing enables us to put in the complimentary backup systems.

The single most threatening element to the system: assumptions.

"Ideas grow out of meanings and how meanings are formed will either produce healthy and strong ideas or vulnerable and weak ones."
Sara Jacobovici

Any ideas based on assumptions produce the strongest threat to any idea system; they look and sound valid but are in truth empty shells that have no intrinsic value and can only contaminate a healthy field of promoting ideas and their exchange.

It is not a coincidence that there are two sides to the verb to assume:

1. suppose to be the case, without proof.

synonyms: presume, suppose, take it (as given), take for granted

2. take or begin to have (power or responsibility).

synonyms: accept, shoulder, bear, undertake, take on/up

When we assume an idea without assuming the responsibility of inquiry, an assumption is formed rather than an idea rooted in fertile ground.

This is what our immune system needs to defend against, recognize the patterns, be aware of the source and not allow it to contaminate the healthy field of ideas.

The strongest defense against contamination: The WPD Factor (Wonderment, Passion and Drive) as the main factor of success. Let’s use it wisely.

With gratitude to my WPD consortium; @Ali Anani, @Fatima Williams, @Deb Helfrich and @Irene Hackett. 

Our immune system of ideas is vibrating with good health.