star trek – My Geek Wisdom

“It’s not safe out here. It’s wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it’s not for the timid.”

From: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Q

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation. A worthy successor to the franchise, The Next Generation introduced a new cast of characters taking control of a new USS Enterprise as they boldly go where no man has gone before.

This week’s quote comes from the 2nd season episode, Q Who? In the episode, the godly being known as Q (played by John de Lancie) transports the USS Enterprise to an unknown sector of the cosmos. They run into an unstoppable alien race known as the Borg and the crew is unable to stop their advance. Captain Picard eventually gives in and admits they are no match for the Borg and pleads for Q to save them. Q does just that and returns them to where they were when the episode started. Captain Picard laments on the number of dead crew members because of Q’s actions. Q then tells them losses are to be expected as they are exploring the unknown. This is when he delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: Doing something totally new, whether it be exploring a new location or testing out an experiment will always have its risks. However, the rewards might just outweigh the risks if you can make a new breakthrough. This is how we have gotten to this position: through the risks and trials others have taken before us… and had persevered though all the hardships.

“What does God need with a starship?”

From: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Captain James Kirk

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The film features the original cast of the 1967 series that started it all. The film features the crew of the USS Enterprise as they journey with Spock’s half-brother, Sybok, to allegedly find God.

The quote comes near the end of the film. The USS Enterprise does manage to get to the planet that holds “God.” This seemingly all-powerful being requests to board the starship that brought them to the planet. This is when Captain James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: Sometimes, it’s best to not take things at face value. Just because something seems to be plausible, that doesn’t automatically mean it’s positively true. We have to look at things with a critical eye and not just blindly accept the things in front of us.

“There. Are. Four. Lights.”

From: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Captain Jean-Luc Picard

The story behind the quote: This week, we have another quote from Star Trek: The Next Generation. And, once again, it comes from the Captain of the USS Enterprise-D, Jean-Luc Picard. This week’s quote comes from the second episode of the two-parter, Chain of Command. The episode is actually pays homage to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.

The episode has Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) captured by the Cardassians. The leader of the group, Gul Mandred, tortures Picard in an attempt to break him so he will reveal the plans for the planet Minos Korva. One of the tactics is to show Picard four lights and force him to say there are five instead. If he does, Gul Mandred will stop the torturing.

By the end of the episode, despite not being able to break Picard and the Captain about to be released into Federation custody, Gul Mandred tries one more attempt to break Picard’s spirit by lying to him and saying Minos Korva has been captured and the Enterprise has been destroyed so there is nothing to betray anymore. He asks Picard how many lights. But just before Picard answers, the other Cardassians come to take Picard. This is when Picard says the quote one more time, with total defiance that he was not broken.

Geek wisdom: Despite all the hardships you endure, you have to stay true to what you know is the truth. Don’t let other people sway you to think otherwise, especially when they are wrong but won’t admit that they are.

“I’m a doctor. Not a…”

From: Star Trek

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy… but most doctors in Star Trek

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from Star Trek. Oddly enough, it comes from most of the Star Trek television shows. The quote is generally mostly associated to the first Enterprise doctor, Dr. Leonard “Bones’ McCoy. However, the same quote has been uttered by several other doctors, including Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julian Bashir of Deep Space Nine and The Doctor, a holographic program on the USS Voyager.

The quote is still generally connected to Dr. Bones McCoy (who was played by DeForrest Kelley) from the original Star Trek series. It was his gruff means of expressing frustration when he was given tasks other than his role as Chief Medical Officer on the USS Enterprise.

This line has become a sort of catch phrase and, to pay homage to it, numerous doctors from within the Star Trek series has said some manner of the quote…

Geek wisdom: Although Bones and the other doctors in Star Trek have usually used this quote to express displeasure on taking on a different role, that doesn’t mean that they don’t do it. They may do so begrudgingly but they still do what is asked.

You should do the same. Never pigeonhole yourself in a specific role because you can do so much more.

“The only person you’re truly competing against, Wesley, is yourself.”

From: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Captain Jean-Luc Picard

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the Captain of the NCC-1701-D, AKA the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Unlike his predecessor, who had a habit of charging in full force into trouble, Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) is a more calm and strategic thinking, preferring to take a more logical and level-headed manner to resolve issues.

The quote comes from the closing moments of the Season 1 episode entitled “Coming of Age.” One of the stories in the episode deals with Wesley Crusher taking the entrance exam for Starfleet Academy. He does not get in but not for lack of trying. Wesley is disappointed with himself and apologizes to Picard for letting him and the entire crew of the Enterprise down. Picard tries to comfort the boy by asking him if he tried his best. This is when he delivers the quote to encourage him.

Geek wisdom: People tend to take too much stock in how people think of them or how they stack up against each other. We try to compare ourselves with others and then ask ourselves how to outdo what they did. In actuality, the best way to do better in life tomorrow is to try to outdo what we are today.

“He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever got noticed by anyone.”

From: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Q

This week’s quote comes from the 6th season episode, Tapestry. In the episode, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) is shot in his artificial heart. Ironically, if he has his normal heart, he wouldn’t be dying. The god-like being Q (played by John de Lancie) gives him an opportunity to return to that bar fight that made him lose his original heart in the first place. Picard does so but, when he is returned to his original time, he is no longer the Captain of the USS Enterprise, but a simple junior officer. He confronts Q about his current situation and Q explains that, because he never had that brush with death in the bar, Picard never took the risks that made him a daring captain in the first place.

Geek wisdom: It seems easy to take no chances. While you may leave a comfortable life by doing this, the only way to really get ahead is to seize opportunities when you can and take risks. It may seem difficult but the most successful people in life have taken the more perilous route to get where they are. The gamble may be risky but the payout is high.

“After a time, you may find that ‘having’ is not so pleasing a thing after all as ‘wanting.’ It is not logical, but it is often true.”

From: Star Trek

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Mr. Spock

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the original Star Trek television series. The television that launched a multi-billion dollar franchise and one that has endured for decades. With the latest television show, Star Trek: Discover, set for release tomorrow, I think it would be a good idea to give a quote from the show that started it all.

The quote comes from the episode Amok Time, frequently mentioned to be one of the best episodes of the series. In the episode, Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) desperately needs to return to Vulcan to complete the right to pon farr, which is essentially the Vulcan mating ritual. However, when he does return to the planet, Spock finds out that his future wife has fallen in love with another man. She enacts the right of koon-ut-kal-if-fee, wherein she picks Captain Kirk (played by William Shatner) as her champion. At the end of the episode, Spock renounces her claim on his supposed bride-to-be and delivers the quote to the man she fell in love with.

Geek wisdom: There’s an old adage that goes “Be careful what you wish for. You may receive it.” There are times when you want something so badly that it’s all you can think about. But, once you do get that thing you crave for, you may find out that it’s not all that’s it’s cracked up to be. By then, it’s too late and you may have spend all that effort trying to get something that you actually didn’t want or need in the first place.

“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.”

From: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Captain Jean-Luc Picard

The story behind the quote: There are already several quotes from the old Star Trek cast. Now, it’s time to give a little respect to The Next Generation, the successor to the franchise. Star Trek: The Next Generation successfully introduced new fans to the sci-fi world where humans explored the final frontier. The series also gave us many memorable characters and, thankfully, lots of great quotes.

This week’s quote comes from The Next Generation Episode entitled Peak Performance, wherein Picard and Riker (played by Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes, respectively), take part of a series of war games to test their mettle as part of their training. During the episode, Lt. Commander Data (played by Brent Spiner) plays a competitive game against the the war games observer in a strategic game aptly named Strategema. To his surprise, Data, who just so happened to be an android, loses. This makes Data start to lose faith in himself as a strategist as there was supposedly no way he should have lost.

The quote happens during the second act. Picard asks Data to come to the bridge but the android has second thoughts. This is when Picard, after ordering him on to the bridge, gives the quote.

Geek wisdom: Life isn’t fair all the time. Sometimes you will given lucky breaks and sometimes unlucky ones. There are also going to be times when, even if you think you’ve thought of every possible bad thing that could happen and prepare contingencies for them, things may still not swing your way. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try things anymore. The important thing is that you try.

“I don’t believe in a no-win scenario.”

From: Star Trek

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: James Kirk

The story behind the quote: This is actually the second time I’m getting a quote from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The quote comes from the beginning of the film where Lt. Saavik and the crew of the Enterprise receives a distress call from the Kobayashi Maru, a Starfleet vessel that is stranded in the Klingon Neutral Zone. As Saavik attempts to rescue the crew of the crippled ship, the Enterprise is attacked by waves upon waves of Klingon starships, resulting in the eventual deaths of the crew of the ship.

It turns out the entire scene was just a test for Saavik to see how she would handle a “no-win” scenario. However, it’s revealed shortly after that there was actually someone who “beat” the Kobayashi Maru simulation; Admiral James T. Kirk managed to complete the scenario on his third try.

Geek wisdom: When you think you can’t succeed, chances are you’ll fail because you already let yourself think it’s okay to not succeed. Sometimes, it’s even better to fail so that you can have an excuse for not trying something again. But if you believe that you have to perform a task and actually do it correctly, you will push yourself harder to do so.

“I have been – and always shall be – your friend.”

From: Star Trek

Genre: Movies/ Television

Who said it?: Spock

The story behind the quote: This is a first! Not only am I using another Star Trek quote from the second film, The Wrath of Khan, but I’m also going to use the exact same clip from one of this blog’s earliest entries! So, I won’t really be writing that long of a set up for this one.

Spock had to enter the warp core of the ship to repair the engines so that they could escape destruction. Because of this, he has been exposed to a fatal dose of radiation and is dying. Kirk rushes to his aid but is unable to help his friend. As he’s dying, Spock tells Kirk about how he “feels” about his relationship with the Captain of the USS Enterprise.

Geek wisdom: It’s easy to cherish your friends when you’re with them all the time. But what about the time when you don’t meet up with them every day? The sad part of this is friendships can fade away, no matter how many times you check their status message on Facebook.

Still, even if this does happen, you will always be their friend. When you see each other after ages of being apart, it’s easy to rekindle that friendship. All it takes is that one time.