TrekAcademy

Lesson 123: Adapting foreign cultures
TV Series: Star Trek - The Next Generation
Season/Episode: 4/26 ('Redemption Part I')

[Scene]

As a civil war breaks out in the Klingon Empire, Worf, Chief Security Officer on the Enterprise, resigns his Starfleet commission to go fight in the war.

When Capt. Picard asks Worf to be sure of his decision, Worf responds by saying that he was born a Klingon, loved and raised by adoptive human parents, lived his life with humans, served on board with humans; however, he is a Klingon, a race of warriors who live to fight and die with honor, and he hears the 'cry of the warrior.'

Capt. Picard tells Worf that even though Worf has the singular distinction of being the only Klingon aboard a Federation Starship, it is his humanity, compassion, generosity and fairness, all the best traits of humans that he has made his own, that makes Worf unique.

[Lesson]

An individual improving himself by adopting the best qualities of a culture that is outside his own…what a wonderful concept!

As the USA is long recognized as the land of immigrants, what a golden opportunity it is to absorb the best of all cultures here in one place.

Unfortunately, as individuals arrive into this multi-cultural society, many of them often gravitate to only the cheap, shallow and meaningless pursuits.

Things they perhaps could not do in their own native soil due to their own communal standards and pressures, they now feel free to take full advantage of here in an environment that is devoid of their families and friends to whom they must answer.

It is actually quite easy to tell when one has fallen victim to this type of conduct. Just ask the question, 'Can I tell anyone back home what I am doing here?'

If one finds them self emulating behavior conducive to addictive substances, loose moral behavior, risky undertakings without any reservations, illegal, unethical and corrupt activities, then one has failed to grasp the true and just richness of the cultures here.

It is in the attributes of the simplest of things, such as decency, courtesy, punctuality, respect of others, honor of our deeds, value of our word, and pride in our stewardships that we find the best of qualities of humans in this land and everywhere else on this planet.

If we can imagine a Klingon warrior can adapt the best of these human qualities, is it too much to believe that we humans can do the same too?

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