I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Although it is just fantasy, my days aren't quite complete without some form of Trek in them. I don't know about other fans, but Trek has taught me so much, and even taught me to be curious of the world around us, something I never used to be. Its metaphorical approach has made me think and study a lot of real life issues. DS9 for instance got me reading about religion's place in society, and whilst science never interested me as a child, I'm finding myself reading more and more about it and its endless possibilities. Whenever I'm down, watching or reading a bit of Star Trek takes me away from the worries and stresses of real life. It's so expansive ensuring I never get bored, and I honestly can't imagine not being a Trekkie! My partner doesn't understand it, but I think I speak for most Trekkies when I say Star Trek is a huge part of our lives. I'm not even ashamed to admit something fictional can play its part in shaping our personalities, and make us who we are. I doubt I am alone in this stance, and wondered what Star Trek means to you?
Star Trek means alot to me. But I realize I have more fun watching when I don't nitpick internal mistakes and name call the creators when they make decisions I disagree with. I guess I finally grew up.
Ditto, pretty much summed it up for me. I know it's fictional and all but I think it shines light on where humans could go, it shows our best side in a world that is ugly. On that same "hope" saying. it also depresses me. We live in a world where we cannot take care of our own planet, country, and in some extreme cases ourselves. How can we expect to explore other worlds when things are FAR from perfect in our own backyard?
Star Trek means getting the chance to see a future that shows a united humanity, where intelligence, friendship, and knowledge is an integral part of it's society. One that I will likely never witness myself. Star Trek also means good stories with characters that I can relate to; people that still face every day hurdles and overcome them, either by seeking out the help of old friends, or forging new relationships with others. Star Trek also means that what is good in life is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
Star Trek: The Next Generation probably heavily influenced my moral development when I was like 9. The series in general is great entertainment which makes me feel good about a possible trajectory human development may take, and it inspires my imagination when I'm writing fiction of my own.
I have wasted thousands of hours of my life on it. Watching it, reading it, talking about it on the internets. Thousands of hours.
Star Trek taught me so much. Like, how you should accept people, whether they be black, white, Klingon or even female... But most importantly, when I had no friends, it made me feel like maybe I did.
Yes, there is much ugliness in this world. We are not even reaching for Mars any more. It's a kind of sadness you feel comfortable with. What else can you do?
Star Trek (Mostly TOS) means a lot to me too, so I understand how you feel. I had some difficult times growing up. My mother used drugs and things were unpredictable and rough at times. I had real friends, but the characters felt just as close. Roddenberry's philosophy appealed to me and actually moved me closer to accepting my own humanist beliefs. I thank him very much for that. My first serious girlfriend and I bonded over watching the shows. So yeah, Star Trek has had a pretty big impact on me. I mostly just watch it for pure entertainment now, but the characters still feel like old friends.
A lot of things. Good entertainment, good stories, good role models among the characters and hope for the future.