The Argument
In the
Argument section of his book, Shenk emphasizes on persisting and embracing
failure in order to have a successful impact on parenting children. He says
that “in the sometimes counterintuitive world of success and achievement,
weaknesses are opportunities; failures are wide-open doors” (p. 142). When
children face their weaknesses, parents are supposed to “present, monitor, and
modulate challenges”(p. 142) in order for their children to “learn how to deal
with frustration and want”(p.142) as well as “how to soothe themselves and
discover that things will be all right if they wait for what they want”(p.142).
Compare and contrast the process of dealing with failure with the process of
the immune system fighting off a pathogen. Explain why embracing failure be
more comparable to either innate immunity or acquired immunity, and make sure
to relate to Chapter 43 in the book as well as the biological theme of
adaptation and regulation.
Tracy Lai
(tracymlai@hotmail.com)
The immune system is similar to the process of dealing with failure because although our immune system is highly successful keeping us alive from the daily onslaught of pathogens, there are times where the immune system does fail such as the different strains of viruses every year or some other diseases. Our innate immunity is usually what we rely on, and this defense system is highly successful most of the time. But sometimes “weaknesses are opportunities; failures are wide-open doors” (p. 142), and in this case pathogens (microorganisms and viruses) can get past our barrier defenses of the skin, mucous membranes, and secretions. Once a pathogen breaches the first line of defense, then the second line of defense consists of internal innate cellular and chemical defense which includes interferons signaling phagocytic cell, macrophages, and neutrophils which destroy pathogens through phagocytosis. Failure would most definitely be an open door as a pathogen is sometimes able to make it past the first and second lines of defense in the immune system and that failure can result in people in suffering or dying. One example is the bacterium that causes tuberculosis because instead of being destroyed within the host’s cells, they reproduce and effectively hide from the innate immune defenses (Campbell 936). But as the failure of the innate immune system takes place, the acquired immunity is allowed to kick in and they can eliminate the pathogen and also create memory B cells and memory cytotoxic T cells so that the same pathogen cannot attack again. Acquired immunity relates to embracing failure more because acquired immunity deals with the failure of innate immunity and prevents future infections from the same pathogen. From the immune system learning from its mistakes, acquired immunity allows humans to adapt so that the same pathogen cannot possibly attack again. Therefore active immunity develops naturally in response to an infection. Clearly, the immune system learns from its mistakes and it has to no other choice but to adapt in order to keep the host alive to survive and reproduce. The process of failure can be devastating or kill a person if the immune system fails to adapt, but the process of failure can in some way make one stronger like when a person survives an infection and acquires immunity.
ReplyDeleteBut the process of failure concerning when children face their weaknesses, parents are supposed to “present, monitor, and modulate challenges” (p. 142) in order for their children to “learn how to deal with frustration and want” (p.142), there is no “parent” in the case of the immune system. There is no “parent” to modulate the challenges as the immune system is put into an almost do or die situation and the challenge, or the pathogen, certainly cannot be modulated. But children waiting to “soothe themselves and discover that things will be all right if they wait for what they want” (p.142) is not exactly true concerning failure with the immune system. The important part of experiencing failure is to learn from that failure. When people get infections they need to learn that their line of defense that they create for their immune system is through their lifestyle. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies (http://www.health.harvard.edu/flu-resource-center/how-to-boost-your-immune-system.htm). After experiencing failure, one should not “wait for what they want” but instead take the initiative to apply lessons learned and do what’s necessary to prevent future infections so that the immune system does not suffer from potential failures. People can take action by using passive immunization, making better choices, and leading a healthy life so that the process of failure wouldn’t have to occur again to learn the lesson, and there is better chance of surviving and reproducing. Failure relates to regulation because the body has to use the immune system to return to homeostasis by removing the pathogen and accepting the failure of innate immunity.
ReplyDelete(Kirk Chiu- krkpchiu@gmail.com)