TrekAcademy

Lesson 090: Overcoming personal bias for the right cause
TV Series: Star Trek - The Next Generation
Season/Episode: 5/17 ('The Outcast')

[Scene]

Worf is of the warrior race of Klingons and finds the androgynous alien race of a planet, which the Enterprise crew is visiting, to be quite unsettling, almost to the point of being repugnant to him.

Yet, when Riker plans an unauthorized visit to the planet to rescue one of the aliens from wrongful captivity, Worf is the only one to come forward and volunteer to go with Riker on the mission.

Despite the prospects of a court-martial for this unsanctioned mission, Worf tells Riker that, as his commanding officer, Riker can order him not to go; however, he asks Riker not to give him that order, for a warrior does not let a friend go into danger alone.

[Lesson]

Let's face it, we all have prejudices. No matter how unbiased or saintly we may feel about ourselves, we all suffer from personal likes and dislikes of certain things based on pure subjectivity.

Even though these antipathies may be founded in something far less parochial than the pedestrian race, religion, creed, etc., based bigotries, they nevertheless do manage to control our actions and reactions.

There are times, however, when mankind does manage to show signs of a greater consciousness by displaying dispassionate impartiality in his quest for the just cause, no matter what his personal beliefs.

We prove that we can be better than we are when we step forward to fight for the right cause or for the rights of others, in spite of ourselves.

To stand in support of those of whom we may disapprove to fight the common enemy, or to support the right to speak for those who speak against everything in which we believe to be right and value most dearly, these are amongst the highest self-less qualities of humanity.

Just as the Klingon warrior welcomes the opportunity to battle beside his friend, no matter what his personal feelings, so we humans too can overcome our own prejudices to always fight the good fight.

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