hopefully there's a big difference between an immature kid and highly evolved beings.
Please help me understand the Q
- Thread starter Gaius
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hopefully there's a big difference between an immature kid and highly evolved beings.
You'd think, but the Old Testament would argue otherwise.
There in, I think, lies the point. I think Q does some of these things precisely because he can! Endless power such as that which is possessed by the Q can lead to exactly what you state: immaturity.
Funny, I had the very same thought once, but dismissed it on the basis that super-evolved beings are supposedly more intelligent than that.
The actions we see of the Q would suggest otherwise, the conversation between DeLancie Q and Crobin Bernsen Q where they pretty much talk like they use the universe as their playground (there's talk of misplacing an asteroid belt.)
They may be highly evolved but it's simply that they're vastly more evolved. Q in "Deja Q" he suggests that he no more considered being human than he did a slug or a single-cellular organism in the nanoseconds he had to choose his form. They're so far advanced they don't care about humans. Some people now and some people down the road may be greatly advanced but they're still not going to much consider the "life" of an insect or a single-cellular organism.
We're nothing to the Q. But they do see something in us that intrigues them.
Perhaps they perceive us as being more free as we are much more constrained in the choices that we can make and have to use our imagination and creativity to give ourselves authenticity. An infinite number of possible choices destroys imagination and creativity, and leads to apathy. With apologies to J P Satre...
It's pretty well concluded in that episode that he's not being entirely truthful in that statement, such that in reality, he only ever truly considered Humanity as a mortal form, solely because in all the universe of intelligent life that he has harassed, he likely never came across any other species that would protect him from the inevitable harm coming his way, despite their dislike of him
He chose Humanity because of their unique conscience likely being his only possible safe haven
Well, true he ended up choosing The Enterprise because he knew they would protect him but, still, I took his likening humans to such primitive creatures as having an ounce of truth to it, afterall if he had chosen to be a slug or something it'd probably be even less likely the Calamari would have gone after him.
Yeah, it certainly does have some truth to it, & likely not just by him, but by all the Q. It's been expressed in different ways in all his appearances, but there's no escaping the notion that the Q also have taken specific interest in humanity because of that conscience, curiosity, tenacity & desire to stretch themselves
Though I do love Data's description of the Q/Picard relationship as being "That of a master & beloved pet"
Though I do love Data's description of the Q/Picard relationship as being "That of a master & beloved pet"
There was something Q said in "Hide and Q" about of all the species, humans are the most curious about things.
At first, I found it strange that their fascination with humans was based on the Farpoint encounter and how Picard and crew discovered that the station was actually a creature and helped it recover. Couldn't other cultures come to the same conclusion? Vulcans?
And the few second encounter with Riker which for some reason made Q think he was the greatest representation of humanity.
I'm thinking, "Out of all the gazillions of planets and cultures out there, they can't find anyone else?"
But then again you're right--out all of the other species, humans would be the best candidates, because of their famous open mindedness and curiosity.
Even the Bajorans would be ruled out, because their flaw is their religious narrow mindedness at times, which is their only one.
The El Aurians seem to have the Q's respect, they speak to them on a more respected level, and the El Aurians seem to possess some type of power/knowledge the Q also respect.
Vulcans are far too logical which sort of ties their hands when it comes to more abstract thought.
I think Vulcans would have figured out the secret of Farpoint Station. Vulcans are quiet observant. They too would have noticed that the station gave them what they wanted and would not have sworn the material had a different pattern, but would have insisted that the material was different. Landing parties would have explored and torn logical holes through Zorn's explanations. Finally exploring the tunnels. Vulcans, being touch telepaths, would have sensed the alien as easily as Deanna.
They would have passed the test with flying colors, but their strict devotion to logic, that's what would hold them back. From The Q's point of view.
They would have passed the test with flying colors, but their strict devotion to logic, that's what would hold them back. From The Q's point of view.
Yeah, they likely would have came to the same conclusion Picard and his crew did, possibly faster.
But their strict adherence to logic can be a big failing for them which'd make them un-interesting to the crew, again, they wouldn't be given to abstract thought they only believe in what they think is "logical."
But their strict adherence to logic can be a big failing for them which'd make them un-interesting to the crew, again, they wouldn't be given to abstract thought they only believe in what they think is "logical."
The Q themselves are counter to that opinion. Look at all of the Q we've met between TNG and even Voyager. They're not often presented as the most stable, mature, or centered lot.
Perhaps the "almost respectable" ones, just observe and take in the wonders of the universe. Like I said they may be omnipotent, but they are not shown to have omniscience.
There are many answers. As already mentioned, Q is not not always harassing Picard but actually teaching him. This becomes clear especially in later episodes like Tapestry or All Good Things.
Furthermore Q is fairly powerful and immortal and like we already know from the Greek myths, there is nothing more horrible to us mortals than the boredom of the Gods.
See that's the thing. I had to go back & check. It's actually not curiosity that Q speaks of in that episode. It's the Human compulsion
& again, it's a pretty recognizable theme in Star Trek, that Humans are the most driven to grow & advance. It would seem that within a couple centuries, the entire galaxy has been altered by Humanity discovering light speed travel, spreading itself to every corner, & spearheading this Federation that spans its entirety & incorporates its diversity of intelligent life.
As for Riker being chosen, I always felt like that was somewhat of a ruse. It just seems more likely that he was chosen because he was more easily tempted than Picard, & that offering it to him was just to get to Picard. Everything Q does seems to center around deconstructing Picard. Why not this also?
Hell, even Wesley would seem to be more intriguing than Riker. The Traveler sure thought so & with good reason. No, if your specific interest is in Human compulsion or drive, then there is no greater subject than Picard. Riker is less driven than even he thought himself to be. It takes him ages to become a captain, or to get married. That dude rides fences in every aspect of his life
Don't humans likewise counter that opinion? Do any "lower" lifeforms prey on their own kind through bullying, mockery, or outright violence like humans do? Do animals like to torture, experiment on, or "pull the wings off of" other animals simply for pleasure?
Seems like the more advanced the lifeform the greater the tendency to test, harass, mistreat, torture, manipulate or otherwise mistreat lesser species.
Humans currently do, yes, but for the larger part the humans in Trek seem to have grown past all of that and into something more, again, why The Q were so piqued with them and suggested the humans could even out-evolve The Q.
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