Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x05 - "Charades"

[Tallguy]

Hmm. M'Benga should have just prescribed Librium for Spock.

If you want to take the episode in a far more serious direction than it had any intention of going, the lack of medical support both physical and psychological for Spock was absolutely irresponsible.

"Dude. Weird things happen. Space, man! Also, VULCANS! Amirite?"

 

[fireproof78]

Sadly, that is all to common with Star Trek. Psychological support only happens per the needs of the plot.

 

[Mudd]

If you want to take the episode in a far more serious direction than it had any intention of going, the lack of medical support both physical and psychological for Spock was absolutely irresponsible.

"Dude. Weird things happen. Space, man! Also, VULCANS! Amirite?"

When McCoy asssured Kirk that M'Benga was an expert on Vulcan physiology, he neglected to mention that the expertise was a direct result of using Spock himself as a guinea pig.

 

[cooleddie74]

"Better keep Joseph aboard. He can treat Spock without losing his temper."

 

[Yistaan]

"Better keep Joseph aboard. He can treat Spock without losing his temper."

M'Benga literally dealt with a katric switch in SNW, but is nowhere to be found in Search for Spock when McCoy is stuck with Spock's katra!

 

[cooleddie74]

Maybe he'd already retired from Starfleet or passed away by then.

 

[Yistaan]

Maybe he'd already retired from Starfleet or passed away by then.

If M'Benga is the same age as Babs at 2259, it's highly unlikely he'd have died naturally before Search for Spock as at most he'd be 70. So it's either retirement or a death before his time.

 

[Set Harth]

Picked a fight with the wrong thirty Klingons.

 

[cooleddie74]

He forgot his own advice and tried the house dressing.

 

[Nerys Myk]

If M'Benga is the same age as Babs at 2259, it's highly unlikely he'd have died naturally before Search for Spock as at most he'd be 70. So it's either retirement or a death before his time.

Or he’s on the other side of the Galaxy. They don’t even know what’s happening until Sarek shows up at Kirk’s apartment. That’s when they figure out Spock’s Katra is in McCoy, They won’t find out Spock’s body regenerated until later.

 

[Farscape One]

Sadly, that is all to common with Star Trek. Psychological support only happens per the needs of the plot.

Though there were two lead characters (Troi in TNG for all 7 seasons, Ezri in DS9 season 7) whose entire job was psychology. And they were rarely used in their actual job description.

I know this is not a popular opinion, and I admit to my own personal bias against the profession... but maybe people, overall, just put too much reliance in psychology to solve their problems. People don't seem to want try to solve things on their own. Whether that's because they weren't given or taught any tools (for lack of a better word) by their parents to deal with things while growing up, the drug companies wanting everyone hooked on one form of meds or another, people in general seemingly more weak-willed (again, for lack of a better term) than generations of the past, other factors, or a combination of all of the above is anyone's guess.

Not saying there aren't people who need that kind of help, but I think the general population goes overboard on just how many people actually need it.

When you see a large number of people taking 4 or 5 different meds a day just to 'get by', maybe the problem is societal... like too many shrinks who are too quick to dole out prescriptions like it's candy.

 

[Tuskin38]

Vulcan Science Academy Emblem
https://twitter.com/timothypeel1/status/1681342768348803072

 

[fireproof78]

I know this is not a popular opinion, and I admit to my own personal bias against the profession... but maybe people, overall, just put too much reliance in psychology to solve their problems. People don't seem to want try to solve things on their own. Whether that's because they weren't given or taught any tools (for lack of a better word) by their parents to deal with things while growing up, the drug companies wanting everyone hooked on one form of meds or another, people in general seemingly more weak-willed (again, for lack of a better term) than generations of the past, other factors, or a combination of all of the above is anyone's guess.

It's all of the above. It's interesting to sit back and look at humanity and go, "How did we cope in the past when things seem so daunting now?" Well, it's because of societal progress. We have more luxury of time than in ages past, more technology to support our leisure, and more distractions to do with it. Because of that, we have more time to think on our problems. And, well, humans like to go to long lengths to think about the root of problems, be it Socrates with the idea of balance in virtues over vices, or Nietchze and his idea around achieving to the ubermensch, or Victor Frankl and "Man's Search for Meaning." We just have more time, and so we think we can solve it through thinking.

I think, very much so, that it isn't about psychology, but too much thinking. There are times were talking is beneficial, there are times were feeling is essential, and there are times were action must occur. The problem is that we lack patience as a species and feel like we must "do something" to solve all these problems. So we get meds, and counselors, social workers and psychologists and people feel better because that "does something."

Ultimately, I don't think it's overreliance on psychology. I think it's a profound discomfort with the challenges of being human.

 

[Commander Troi]

Also, let's not forget alcohol. I'd guess alot of people "solved things on their own" by drinking. Or sex. Or beating their wives. Or throwing themselves into their job.

The fact we still have way too many people using things to numb/distract themselves leads me to think people weren't better at handling things in the past.

 

[fireproof78]

The fact we still have way too many people using things to numb/distract themselves leads me to think people weren't better at handling things in the past.

No, they were not. They just were not given much of a choice. Psychology/philosophy was the realm of kings and priests and upper classes. The lower classes had limited choices in terms of working or starving to death, and even working did not promise success.

Compare to modern day that while hunger is still very much a problem, we have expanded the capability of choice, including decreasing the amount of hours some jobs require. So, we fill it up with other things, and are brains are not always able to make sense of it because, believe it or not, our brains are built more for survival than just word puzzles. SO, a lack of new information around an anxiety provoking event keeps triggering the same fight/flight response that would happen if you saw a bear. Except, the bear can leave.

Anxious thoughts can't.

So, yeah, the past wasn't better. We just have more tools to hide it and blame our problems on it.

 

[Unique]

Every generation in human history grew up watching both loved ones and strangers die off pretty regularly, all while living perpetually on the verge of famine, war, slavery, and natural disaster in a world with no painkillers, antibiotics, or clean running water.
They were all badass survivors, when you think about it. Take most of those constant life or death challenges out of the equation in just a generation or two, replace them with a sedentary lifestyle, and of course you get a population that’s now physically and mentally unhealthy.

 

[Yistaan]

Every generation in human history grew up watching both loved ones and strangers die off pretty regularly, all while living perpetually on the verge of famine, war, slavery, and natural disaster in a world with no painkillers, antibiotics, or clean running water.
They were all badass survivors, when you think about it. Take most of those constant life or death challenges out of the equation in just a generation or two, replace them with a sedentary lifestyle, and of course you get a population that’s now physically and mentally unhealthy.

Maybe today's generation is physically unhealthy compared to past ones but considering previous generations had practically non-existent women's rights, publicly accepted slavery, kingdoms without any realistic democractic process, literal extremist religiously driven witch hunts ending in burning people at stakes, etc. I'd be hard pressed to describe them as mentally healthy to be honest.

 

[fireproof78]

I mean, you first have to define what mentally healthy is.

And their ability to apply that knowledge.

 

[Mudd]

Every generation in human history grew up watching both loved ones and strangers die off pretty regularly, all while living perpetually on the verge of famine, war, slavery, and natural disaster in a world with no painkillers, antibiotics, or clean running water.
They were all badass survivors, when you think about it. Take most of those constant life or death challenges out of the equation in just a generation or two, replace them with a sedentary lifestyle, and of course you get a population that’s now physically and mentally unhealthy.

The populations then were physically and mentally unhealthy. Far worse than now.

 

[Unique]

Maybe today's generation is physically unhealthy compared to past ones but considering previous generations had practically non-existent women's rights, publicly accepted slavery, kingdoms without any realistic democractic process, literal extremist religiously driven witch hunts ending in burning people at stakes, etc. I'd be hard pressed to describe them as mentally healthy to be honest.

Where do you think all the ideas you approve of came from? People in the past developed them.
And people in the present are still burning other people alive in the present day. Humanity…has issues.

I thought we were referencing how neurotic and over-medicated modern Western society has become.