Please help me understand the Q

[Gaius]

Just what is the point of a more evolved life-form harassing lesser life-forms? Don't get me wrong, I found the Q episodes entertaining. I just don't understand how teaching lessons to and conducting trials against humanity satisfies them. Aren't there species out there who are infinitely more evil than humans and in need of some condescending advice? The Q should know, after all they are omnipotent.

 

[Cyke101]

Just what is the point of a more evolved life-form harassing lesser life-forms? Don't get me wrong, I found the Q episodes entertaining. I just don't understand how teaching lessons to and conducting trials against humanity satisfies them. Aren't there species out there who are infinitely more evil than humans and in need of some condescending advice? The Q should know, after all they are imbipotent.

Some of the episodes like Q Who and All Good Things... seemed more about not just imbuing humanity with advice, but also preparing them. I remember reading, but can't remember where (nor if it was ever said on TV), that humans are among the best candidates for evolving into beings like the Q because of their inquisitive nature and desire for exploration. With that taken into account, the context of some of the Q episodes therefore seems to be to evaluate, and then ensure, that humanity starts on the right foot.

With that said, the DS9 episode and a few of the Voyager episodes seemed to be more about babysitting and hijinks than the actual human potential.

 

[Yevetha]

Just what is the point of a more evolved life-form harassing lesser life-forms? Don't get me wrong, I found the Q episodes entertaining. I just don't understand how teaching lessons to and conducting trials against humanity satisfies them. Aren't there species out there who are infinitely more evil than humans and in need of some condescending advice? The Q should know, after all they are imbipotent.

Q just wants to have some fun.

 

[Alrik]

The Q should know, after all they are omnipotent.

FTFY

 

[Alrik]

I remember reading, but can't remember where (nor if it was ever said on TV), that humans are among the best candidates for evolving into beings like the Q because of their inquisitive nature and desire for exploration.

IIRC, he pretty much said just that in Hide and Q.

 

[Cyke101]

I remember reading, but can't remember where (nor if it was ever said on TV), that humans are among the best candidates for evolving into beings like the Q because of their inquisitive nature and desire for exploration.

IIRC, he pretty much said just that in Hide and Q.

...yeeeeeaah, but it was a pretty questionable episode all around, so I tried to forget it

 

[Alrik]

But it does have one of my favorite exchanges.

Riker: "I feel like such an idiot."
Picard: "Quite right. So you should."

 

[Finn]

Just what is the point of a more evolved life-form harassing lesser life-forms? Don't get me wrong, I found the Q episodes entertaining. I just don't understand how teaching lessons to and conducting trials against humanity satisfies them. Aren't there species out there who are infinitely more evil than humans and in need of some condescending advice? The Q should know, after all they are imbipotent.

Because Humans made TNG.....

 

[Mojochi]

Yeah, it was never really about Humanity being worthy of existence, but rather being worthy of continued evolution. The point seemed to be that ultimately Humanity would achieve the same level of existence as the Q, & therefore the Q would then be required to share or compete over that domain in the universe with us, which would be reason enough to start putting us to the test, to see if our continued evolution should be allowed or stopped in advance of it becoming a problem for them

& gauging from the cognitive skills developed by Wesley Crusher, that evolved future is closer than either Humanity or the Q might even realize. The biggest obstacle that the Q seemed to face in understanding Humanity seemed to be our specific ethical point of view, which they seemingly didn't share. Definitely not understood by Q himself

 

[Cyke101]

Just what is the point of a more evolved life-form harassing lesser life-forms? Don't get me wrong, I found the Q episodes entertaining. I just don't understand how teaching lessons to and conducting trials against humanity satisfies them. Aren't there species out there who are infinitely more evil than humans and in need of some condescending advice? The Q should know, after all they are imbipotent.

Because Humans made TNG.....

I need a Philosoraptor img of this exchange.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I hate how it's always the HUMANS that great and powerful beings want to learn stuff from. Why not the Vulcans? The Andorians?

 

[Cyke101]

I hate how it's always the HUMANS that great and powerful beings want to learn stuff from. Why not the Vulcans? The Andorians?

Because humans write what they know.

Also, because we're MASSIVE racists.

 

[sonak]

I remember reading, but can't remember where (nor if it was ever said on TV), that humans are among the best candidates for evolving into beings like the Q because of their inquisitive nature and desire for exploration.

IIRC, he pretty much said just that in Hide and Q.

...yeeeeeaah, but it was a pretty questionable episode all around, so I tried to forget it

Ridiculous episode. When you get turned into a God, you DON'T give it back.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

My impression was that Q's main motivation was boredom with existence in the Continuum.

 

[Gaius]

The Q should know, after all they are omnipotent.

FTFY

Sorry for the typo.

 

[YARN]

But it does have one of my favorite exchanges.

Riker: "I feel like such an idiot."
Picard: "Quite right. So you should."

Picard jacked Riker over in that deal.

 

[Vanyel]

Just because the Q are omnipotent (or very close to it), does not mean they are omniscient. The Q may well feel that humans have the ability to one day be like the Q. The tests and trials Q put Picard and crew through may well have been too see if humans can evolve.

From All Good Things...:

Q: You just don’t get it do you, Jean-Luc? The trial never ends. We wanted to see if you had the ability to expand your minds and your horizons, and for one brief moment, you did.

Picard: When I realized the paradox.

Q: Exactly. For that 1 fraction of a second you were open to options you had never considered. That is the exploration that awaits you. Not mapping stars and studying nebulae, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence.

Picard: Q, what is it that you’re trying to tell me?

Q: You’ll find out. In any case, I’ll be watching. And if you’re very lucky I’ll drop by to say hello from time to time. See you…..out there.

 

[Nightdiamond]

I don't know...the whole thing about humans and only humans have the potential to evolve like Q is silly.

Especially focusing on Riker specifically. They say only humans have a curiosity that they intrigues them??

After all the species encountered that keep exploring the universe and experimenting with stuff, humans are the only one? And Riker is the only suitable human?

Kind of narrow minded in a way. Fun story, lil hard to believe.

 

[Mojochi]

I don't know...the whole thing about humans and only humans have the potential to evolve like Q is silly.

But you have to admit, that such as it is, the way Star Trek depicts many of their regularly recurring alien races is consistent with that theme, as in most of the time, their alien species are a narrow slice of a singular aspect of the human condition

Ferengi are greedy. Klingons are warriors. Vulcans are slaves to logic. Romulans are deceptive. Bajorans are religious. The Borg are soulless, etc... It's not so out of character to develop a plot about Humanity being more special than other races, when the entire show spends a great deal of time featuring other races as being less well rounded

Like it or not, it's always been a show about Humanity excelling on a galactic stage, specifically because they exhibit a myriad of attributes that are rare to find in such variation amongst other species....Even if they sometimes contradict the trend, by having species like Betazoids & El Aurians, who would seem to be more evolved for having rather supernatural qualities, but I must admit, I can't really remember any Q saying that Humanity alone was the only species that has warranted their interest & study, just that we had

 

[Trekker4747]

Just what is the point of a more evolved life-form harassing lesser life-forms?

What's the point of a kid burning ants with a magnifying glass?