Having seen this thread, I thought it would be interesting to see what lessons people take from earlier series. I shall begin with The Next Generation, since Picard was the main comparison.
I already figured that out years before I discovered TNG, but still...There are many things people could learn from observing Data and his awkward interactions with humans: One should always love their mate for who they are instead of asking them to be someone they genuinely can't be (that is for you, Jenna D'Sora !!!) You should never judge people from how strange and alien they look/seem/behave, because how different they are is not the point. What really count are the common points. Not showing emotions/feelings the way others do don't necessarily means you are unable to feel in your own personal way. What truly counts is not reaching your goal, but the efforts you put into trying. Some of the reasons he's my fav character, by the way. There are many meaningful things in him, like in all TNG characters; but as someone who's always been seen as "alien" and "different", I can truly relate to his experience !