T-cells, Immune Responses and their Super-Organism counterparts

Human immune systems can run amok, killing healthy cells. So too can the Super-Organism of human society (which has its own form of immune system).

In a semi-private discussion I had with a few friends, the spiciest question I asked was "What is the most socially-expensive belief you hold (that you're willing to share), and what did it cost you?"

It spawned a fascinating discussion (which I cannot share further details) and got me thinking about our physical immune systems and the interesting parallels.

In dissident circles, we see NPCs signal allegiance/agreement with the Current Thing (BLM, Ukraine, Covid, DEI, etc) to showcase their obedience and telegraph they are harmless to the roaming enforcers. We may sneer and scorn them, but they are working exactly as one would expect in a society with an overactive immune system running wild.

Allow me to back up and explain.

There's a parallel process in the biological realm which may be helpful to understand.

In your own human body, you have millions of dedicated T-cells which are part of your immune system; T-cells actively patrols your body, and kills individual cells inside you which fall into categories which are considered dangerous for your survival. While you're reading this, your T-cells have already nuked dozens of pre-cancerous cells before they ever become a threat to you.

How do T-cells do this without killing healthy cells (which comprises 99+% of your body mass)?

In simple terms, while all cells synthesize proteins, precancerous cells behave in predictable ways and emit different kinds of protein (whose existence reveals their precancerous nature).

A mechanism using what's called an MHC-1 molecule acts as a display window of what the cell is up to. Cells constantly take samples of what proteins they make and attach them to the MHC-1 molecule, which gives the roving patrol of T-cells an up-to-date view of their status.

T-cells operate off a kill list (which is an index of proteins deemed pre-cancerous or otherwise-problematic by your immune system) and when the presence of one of those are detected on the MHC-1 by the T-cell, those cells are marked for destruction; T-cells annihilate thousands of potential life-threatening larval cancers every day.

Human societies are super-organisms, with its own dynamic reminiscent of our immune system, which exists to identify and eliminate human-sized versions of "pre-cancerous" individuals before they metastasize into something worse.

And just as human immune systems can go amok (in which T-cells start indiscriminately killing healthy cells alongside actually-dangerous ones) in unhealthy societies, the societal immune systems go on a rampage, turning its destructive force on productive individuals in an overzealous attempt to purge imaginary dangers from "Nazis" or "racists."

Viewed from this lens, festooning one's social media profile with active signaling of one's agreement with Current Thing zeitgeist is the social version of the MHC-1 molecule, telling the roving enforcers "see? I'm one of the good ones. Please don't kill me."