"Live Long and Prosper" - Meaning

[Scott Kellogg]

Just thinking out loud on the precise meaning of "Live Long and Prosper."
After all, the Vulcans are nothing if not precise.

"Live Long" well, there's not much ambiguity about that.

"Prosper...?" Well, the definition of the word is to be successful, wealthy or have a lot of children.

Sounds like "Live Long and Prosper" changed significantly between TOS and the Anti-Materialistic TNG.

 

[Albertese]

I dunno... "success" need not be measured in terms of financial assets. "We work for the betterment of ourselves and our society" could indicate that prosperity can come in more philosophical flavors. For the Vulcan meritocracy, prosperity could be measured by how logical you are perceived to be. How successfully you've suppressed your violent passions and other emotions. How much scientific progress or innovative metaphysical thought you've been involved with. How much your actions have benefited the greater whole.

A common reply is "Peace and long life," suggesting that perhaps the prosperity is defined by the virtue of calm thought and being quiet and comfortable.

I don't see a contradiction.

--Alex

 

[Scott Kellogg]

Then why use the word "Prosper" instead of the word "Succeed?"

One would presume that it was translated from a Vulcan phrase
Yet the translator chose the word "Prosper."

 

[Albertese]

We hear it in Vulcan in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. To me it sounds like "Deev tour tez moozmah."

How that breaks down word-for-word, who's to say? I'm just saying that "prosper" cold be interpreted as "success as measured in your society."

So, do what you want with it.

--Alex

 

[BK613]

Well, synonyms for "prosper" are grow, thrive, flourish, succeed so a strictly financial connection is not required or indicated.

 

[Forbin]

Wait, I thought it was "live long and perspire," as in work hard all your life.

 

[NCC-73515]

We hear it in Vulcan in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. To me it sounds like "Deev tour tez moozmah."

Dif-tor heh smusma

 

[BK613]

Wait, I thought it was "live long and perspire," as in work hard all your life.

Watch my daddy in bed a-dyin'
Watched his hair been turnin' grey
He's been workin' and slavin' his life away
I know he's been workin' so hard
Every day baby (yeah!)

 

[Scott Kellogg]

Genius is 1% Inspiration and
99% Perspiration.
So Go Shower! Now!

 

[Vger23]

wut?

 

[Kor]

In all my life watching this show, the idea that the "prosper" in "live long and prosper" had anything whatsoever to do with wealth and money never even occurred to me at all until I saw people on this forum making that claim.

Kor

 

[Scott Kellogg]

In all my life watching this show, I never assumed that the "prosper" in "live long and prosper" had anything whatsoever to do with wealth and money until I saw people on this forum making that claim.

Kor

Well, look at the definition of the word:
pros·per
/ˈpräspər/
verb
verb: prosper; 3rd person present: prospers; past tense: prospered; past participle: prospered; gerund or present participle: prospering

1. succeed in material terms; be financially successful.
   "his business prospered"
   • flourish physically; grow strong and healthy.

 

[fireproof78]

flourish physically; grow strong and healthy.

I always took this meaning, not wealth per se. Just be successful at whatever you do.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Dif-tor heh smusma

Dih-Ghom-BAH...

Wait, that Klingon for... I have no idea...

 

[Swedish Borg]

Vulcan Curse: Die short and poor...

 

[BK613]

I suppose if you only look at that one definition that supports your position...

prosper in British English

(ˈprɒspə )
verb

(usually intr[ansitive])
to thrive, succeed, etc, or cause to thrive, succeed, etc in a healthy way
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers​

prosper in American English

(ˈprɑspər )

verb intransitive
1. to succeed, thrive, grow, etc. in a vigorous way
verb transitive
2. Archaic
to cause to prosper
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.​

 

[Swedish Borg]

Live Long and Kapla...

 

[Scott Kellogg]

I don't see how "Live Long and Grow" makes much sense.
(Especially when you're saying it to a fully grown person.)

"Live long and thrive" is redundant.
And if they mean "Live long and succeed." Why not say "Live long and succeed?"
Likewise with "Live long and achieve enlightenment."

 

[fireproof78]

I don't see how "Live Long and Grow" makes much sense.
(Especially when you're saying it to a fully grown person.)

Really? Because people don't grow in other ways?

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I have a clear memory, because I audio taped it on the day, of Gene Roddenberry appearing on The Mike Douglas Show one afternoon. [I audio taped every appearance of a TOS person I could catch in those days.]

Magic of the Internet, it was May 27, 1975.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5675792/

GR taught the other guests and the studio audience to say "Long Live and Prosper." He corrected the supposed error of saying "Live Long," and congratulated Totie Fields for finally getting it right ("You've got it exactly, Totie!").

I don't know if "Long Live" was Gene's original intention and Leonard Nimoy just wouldn't say it that way, or if GR's evolving weirdness in the early 1970s led to a "Long Live" phase that came and went at a time when no canon Trek was being produced.