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Drowning in the milk of human kindness
May. 4th, 2010 11:39 amFor ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
justprompts, March 2010: Quotes: “Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o' the milk of human kindness.” - William Shakespeare
Sooner or later, something will kill you.
In the vision I gave you, everyone from your ship lives to grow old except for Troi. I admit, that could happen -- I didn't make it up, it's a potential future timeline, or was -- but I've never thought that that's actually how things are going to play out. No, you're going to die exactly the way I predicted when you told me you could handle anything the universe could throw at you. You're going to encounter some alien beings, or some of your own kind with nefarious intent, and you're going to offer them the hand of friendship. And they're going to smile, and take your hand, and pull you close... and stab you in the heart.
You won't be able to say I didn't warn you. I warned you with the Borg, all those years ago. That wasn't just a temper tantrum. Well, okay, I admit I wouldn't have done it that way if you hadn't royally torqued me off, but I did come to your ship to warn you of the Borg in the first place... I was just originally thinking you wouldn't be dumb enough to tell me to take a hike when I offered my services.
You see the best in everyone, Jean-Luc. Everyone's a potential ally. Everyone's a future friend. Think of it, despite your hatred and fear of the Borg, you wouldn't use a Borg as a pawn to annihilate his people when you had the chance (not that it would have worked...) You can be tortured to the breaking point by Cardassians, and then turn around and help to enforce a treaty with them, supporting their interests over those of your own kind for the sake of maintaining peace with them.
I told you once that compassion was a weakness in your race. I admit that it weakened my point to say it while I was depending on that compassion to survive, but that doesn't mean it's less true. You responded that compassion is a strength, and that's true too -- your compassion allows you to make friends out of enemies. That works out for you fairly well, most of the time. It's your species' top survival strategy, in fact, since you're weaker, shorter-lived, have fewer abilities and are generally dumber than most other humanoids, and yet you managed to achieve dominance over thousands of other races by exploiting your own compassion and empathy for others, your desire and willingness to bend over backwards to be friends with everyone.
But sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes it's used against you. How often will you offer strangers the benefit of the doubt before one of them destroys you, exploiting the friendship you offered in order to earn your trust just long enough to get your guard down before killing you?
You're a fine fellow, Jean-Luc Picard. Ethical, stalwart, disciplined and compassionate. Positively overflowing with the milk of human kindness, for all your stern demeanor. Someday you're going to drown in it.
I just wish I didn't have to care when you do.
justprompts, March 2010: Quotes: “Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o' the milk of human kindness.” - William ShakespeareSooner or later, something will kill you.
In the vision I gave you, everyone from your ship lives to grow old except for Troi. I admit, that could happen -- I didn't make it up, it's a potential future timeline, or was -- but I've never thought that that's actually how things are going to play out. No, you're going to die exactly the way I predicted when you told me you could handle anything the universe could throw at you. You're going to encounter some alien beings, or some of your own kind with nefarious intent, and you're going to offer them the hand of friendship. And they're going to smile, and take your hand, and pull you close... and stab you in the heart.
You won't be able to say I didn't warn you. I warned you with the Borg, all those years ago. That wasn't just a temper tantrum. Well, okay, I admit I wouldn't have done it that way if you hadn't royally torqued me off, but I did come to your ship to warn you of the Borg in the first place... I was just originally thinking you wouldn't be dumb enough to tell me to take a hike when I offered my services.
You see the best in everyone, Jean-Luc. Everyone's a potential ally. Everyone's a future friend. Think of it, despite your hatred and fear of the Borg, you wouldn't use a Borg as a pawn to annihilate his people when you had the chance (not that it would have worked...) You can be tortured to the breaking point by Cardassians, and then turn around and help to enforce a treaty with them, supporting their interests over those of your own kind for the sake of maintaining peace with them.
I told you once that compassion was a weakness in your race. I admit that it weakened my point to say it while I was depending on that compassion to survive, but that doesn't mean it's less true. You responded that compassion is a strength, and that's true too -- your compassion allows you to make friends out of enemies. That works out for you fairly well, most of the time. It's your species' top survival strategy, in fact, since you're weaker, shorter-lived, have fewer abilities and are generally dumber than most other humanoids, and yet you managed to achieve dominance over thousands of other races by exploiting your own compassion and empathy for others, your desire and willingness to bend over backwards to be friends with everyone.
But sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes it's used against you. How often will you offer strangers the benefit of the doubt before one of them destroys you, exploiting the friendship you offered in order to earn your trust just long enough to get your guard down before killing you?
You're a fine fellow, Jean-Luc Picard. Ethical, stalwart, disciplined and compassionate. Positively overflowing with the milk of human kindness, for all your stern demeanor. Someday you're going to drown in it.
I just wish I didn't have to care when you do.
