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Is Captain Picard arrogant?

Robert Picard's even described his own brother as an "arrogant sonofabitch," which is canon, having been established in the episode "Family." Though we don't see him actually saying it, this information came from his son, in fact ... and, apparently, not meant as a term of endearment, either.

Robert Picard?? That is disrespectful.
 
Robert Picard is even more arrogant than JLP. Talk about having a dog in the race.

Maybe the court would be good enough to call Robert an "expert in arrogance".
 
Robert's opinion is that of a close family member, though ... not a casual observer quoting absent opinion.
 
Picard is sometimes arrogant but he isn't an arrogant man overall. Robert is more habitually arrogant but has moments of insight. Both are strong willed men.
 
When I look into the news today, even as a fictional character, Picard had every right to look down on 21st century people. Sociopathy and narcissism is still the norm. I call it arrogant to defend sociopathic and narcissistic behaviour of todays people, downright evil.

I think many viewers call Picard & Co. behaviour "arrogant", because it dismisses behaviour they identify with and dismiss beeing judged negativly for it - "it suits my interests, so how dare you criticize me for it!" - even if its a fictional character, they know subconsciously the criticism points directly at them as viewer, and they hate that.
 
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When I look into the news today, even as a fictional character, Picard had every right to look down on 21st century people. Sociopathy and narcissism is still the norm. I call it arrogant to defend sociopathic and narcissistic behaviour of todays people, downright evil.

I think many viewers call Picard & Co. behaviour "arrogant", because it dismisses behaviour they identify with and dismiss beeing judged negativly for it - "it suits my interests, so how dare you criticize me for it!" - even if its a fictional character, they know subconsciously the criticism points directly at them as viewer, and they hate that.

Or

It's arrogant because those behaviours still exist in Picard's own time but he pretends they don't. Go and watch the Drumhead. It's about a psychotic, small-minded racist woman. Go and watch any Section 31 episode. Go an watch paradise lost.

It's arrogant because people in glass houses, blah blah blah.
 
I don't know if I'd call him arrogant, but he's definitely a sanctimonious, self-righteous douche.
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Picard may have been arrogant (as most humans in the first couple of seasons appeared to be) but standing next to that pompous jerk Riker you could be forgiven for not noticing Picard's arrogance.

Sisko was probably the most down to earth of the captains. Picard mellowed out over the years but serving under him would mean serving under Riker so it's a pass from me. Kirk was kind of a mix of Riker and Sisko. I could tolerate being under his command if I had to. Janeway was fucking crazy!
 
I don't see that. Riker belonged firmly in the "Every Man" category and, over all, at least, could not be generally described as a pompous jerk. In fact, he was accused of being too familiar with his crew and jovial in his command style, in one episode where the Enterprise was on combat exercises.
 
That, in itself, is arrogant. "Lesser minds"?

Yes. Picard speaks his mind. That's a good thing. Some people label that 'arrogant' and i frequently find that they do so when they cannot formulate productive counter-arguments to defend their own feelings against him.

Picard, clearly, has a keen intellect and a sharp mind. I would not label him 'arrogant' in the slightest.

When I look into the news today, even as a fictional character, Picard had every right to look down on 21st century people. Sociopathy and narcissism is still the norm. I call it arrogant to defend sociopathic and narcissistic behaviour of todays people, downright evil.

I think many viewers call Picard & Co. behaviour "arrogant", because it dismisses behaviour they identify with and dismiss beeing judged negativly for it - "it suits my interests, so how dare you criticize me for it!" - even if its a fictional character, they know subconsciously the criticism points directly at them as viewer, and they hate that.

This, I think, is the crux of the point and I, personally, would expand it to TNG in general. Many label the show as 'preachy' and 'condescending' but I think those characters have every right to look upon our current time as the barbaric, ignorant mess that it actually is.
 
Picard was definitely pompous and at times a bit elitist/arrogant but I don't see him as being self-righteous or otherwise sanctimonious about morality, in fact I think he was generally very open-minded and, especially later on in the series, became pretty into moral relativism. I think Kirk was at least about as self-righteous and preachy as Picard could get.

Or

It's arrogant because those behaviours still exist in Picard's own time but he pretends they don't. Go and watch the Drumhead. It's about a psychotic, small-minded racist woman. Go and watch any Section 31 episode. Go an watch paradise lost.

It's arrogant because people in glass houses, blah blah blah.

I think Picard was generally more critical of people from his own culture than from others.
 
I call it arrogant to defend sociopathic and narcissistic behaviour of todays people
Picard stood by (literally stood) and did nothing while an entire planet's population sufficated. Instead of beaming up as many as he could and packing the ship's corridors.

Would he have been courts martialed by Starfleet, maybe.

Would he have lost his rank and career, maybe.

Picard's (lack) of action would seem to meet the definition of "sociopathic."
 
It would be a toss up between him and Cpt. Sisko. .

I'd trust Janeway as well - just not her writing staff.

Yes, Picard is arrogant. But not usually in a bad way. His worst arrogance is when he gives a lecture on the prime directive as the atmosphere burns off the planet below of a sub-warp capable species. But, at the same time, it's generally not a horrible foreign policy directive and Starfleet really can't go around saving everyone in the galaxy like gods so it might still be sensible - idk.
 
I think Picard was generally more critical of people from his own culture than from others.

No, he could be pretty contemptuous of non-Federation cultures. He sure seemed to hate Feringi if I recall. He was just as territorial with Romulans as Romulans are territorial with the Federation. He was definitely not ok with one culture applying to the Federation that had locked all its bred soldiers away in prison camps.

Picard is still not the type to let someone waltz onto his bridge with their slaves in tow and say "well, it's their culture."

However, Picard did follow the Prime Directive religiously which is a foreign policy of the Federation and not necessarily Picard's deepest held beliefs.

That was Archer and the cogenitor.
 
Robert's opinion is that of a close family member, though ... not a casual observer quoting absent opinion.

And not only that, this is an argument among brothers who never got along when they were growing up. So Robert's opinion of Jean-Luc is necessarily going to be influenced by his resentment of him - people rarely have favorable opinions about those they don't like.

As for Picard in general: There's a difference between speaking one's mind about something that another person or group is doing (which, in itself, is a fine thing) and being openly disrespectful and rude to that same person or group.

A perfect example of the latter, is "The Neutral Zone". It's all well and good to be critical of things that routinely happened in 20th-century Earth culture, but to be openly smug about it - to gloat that the Federation is obviously more enlightened than those dumb throwback rednecks - is another thing entirely.

Ordinarily I would also bring up "Who Watches The Watchers?" but Picard's dismissal of the Mintakans' religious beliefs in that episode did have a practical reason: he was trying to make them stop worshipping HIM, specifically. So I guess I can let that one slide.
 
A perfect example of the latter, is "The Neutral Zone". It's all well and good to be critical of things that routinely happened in 20th-century Earth culture, but to be openly smug about it - to gloat that the Federation is obviously more enlightened than those dumb throwback rednecks - is another thing entirely.

They do this in most of the Star Treks - Star Trek IV does it, Picard does it, DS9 does it about the 50's, Voyager does it when they go back to the 90's and somewhat when they find a bunch of frozen humans, Enterprise does it when they go back to the early 2000's. It seems there must be at least one "criticize the 20th century" episode in all Star Treks.

he was trying to make them stop worshipping HIM, specifically. So I guess I can let that one slide

That's really a generous interpretation of what he says:

"Millennia ago, they abandoned their belief in the supernatural. Now you are asking me to sabotage that achievement, to send them back into the dark ages of superstition and ignorance and fear? NO!" - Picard
 
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