Why do you consider humans inferior?

[Theunicornhunter 2]

The best answer, IMO, would be to say I don't - but I know many people do. We just accept it as true if some writer says Vulcans (or whoever) are superior. Sorry, I guess I'm getting a little cynical about some of the "claims" of Star Trek. And I guess it bothers me that humans have such a low opinion of themselves. Don't get me wrong - some of us need some work but so do all the other ST races, IMO

 

So what makes a species superior?

Technology

Values or principles

Physical size or capabilities

Something else.

 

Some people seem to think that Vulcans are "superior" because they control or suppress their emotions. Yet, what professions do Americans hate most? Those that control their emotions to make "rational" decisions..ie lawyers, soldiers etc. I'm not suggesting everyone hates soldiers but I read a lot of anti war rhetoric. Yet how often do our men and women in uniform have to face "the good of the many versus the good of the few or one" and sometimes they have to make very difficult decisions, VBG shared a story about that some months ago that I still think about at times.

 

The same can be said with court cases. Often we're outraged about "how could someone defend such a person" yet if it were left to lawyers decide who was entitled to a defense or not then the jury system would be eliminated and people's fate would be decided by a minority (lawyers). Sometimes attorneys have to accept unpleasant clients for the sake of the system. Another rational decision.

 

Some races consider themselves superior because of their technology - all this really means is they've been around longer; the changlings thought themselves superior because of physical properties - solids were inferior.

 

So do you think humans inferior and if so why? How would you define a superior race.

 

Note: there are no right and wrong answers to this question.

[Jeanway 0]

I heard once that what makes a species Superior is "Specialization". Make of that what you will, I haven't thought about it too much.

[ensign_beedrill 0]

I think it all has to do with the mentality a race has. I mean, let's narrow it down a bit. If you met some people who are much smarter than you and much stronger than you, would you feel inferior to them? I probably would. Would they feel superior to you? I think it's safe to say yes. Now if we apply this to an entire race, if right now in 2004, Humans met a race of aliens with faster-than-light space ships, universal translators, food replicators, transporters and the like. A race of people who make our highest and most advanced levels of science theories and mathematics seem like child's play, would we feel inferior to them? I think so. No matter if they've been around a couple thousand years longer than we have, I think we'd still feel inferior. Because that's the way we think, and that's the way we judge.

 

Don't older siblings feel superior to their younger siblings, just because they've been around longer? Don't they like to tease their little brothers and sisters? "I can read and you can't." "You can't do that math problem? That's easy!" "I can't believe how many words you can't spell." And maybe the little siblings feel a bit inferior at times.

 

It all has to do with what's in your head and the way you judge things. When the European explorers came to the new world, they declared themselves superior to the natives. Even though a lot of them were very scientifically advanced. Even though they knew the land a lot better, and if it weren't for them, the Europeans might not have had such an easy time surviving in the new world. How about Hitler and his "superior" race? It's all a matter of perspective and how you view yourself relative to another.

 

Humans think superior means better, faster, stronger, more. Faster computers, faster cars, better service, faster service, bigger houses, more space, more stuff, more money. So by our own judgment, we would be the ones who would deem us inferior to another race. And by their own judgment, they would be the ones to deem us the inferior race. It all has to do with the mentality. You have to believe you're superior and have someone believe they're inferior to you to be superior. And whether it's right or not, that's how it happens.

 

And that's how revolts come about. When people are fed up with feeling inferior, they fight back.

[Jeanway 0]

OH MY, I guess we shouldn't JUDGE each other then should we??? :( Leads to all kinds of trouble doesn't it. :blink:

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

Well, the vulcans are physically stronger than us, they have some psionic abilities, and have the abilities to concentrate their metabolism to repair certain tissue or organ in specialization.

 

also, I think it may be that Vulcans can think out of the illogical box. They have the tendency to think straight forward when other species have to cope with emotional anxiety.

 

I don't know. It may be the logic. As many will say, "Brains not Brawn."

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Yes WAB Vulcans possess certain skills, but my point was humans also possess and use the ability to make rational decisions. People do it everyday - but they don't have to permanently deny themselves emotions to do it. There have been humans that have also accomplished some types of self healing through concentrated training and biofeedback.

 

But if you really want to get philosophical - why is logic "superior" to emotion?

Edited August 13, 2004 by TheUnicornHunter

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

well, socratic philosophy uses questions to answer other questions. I find that emotion asks certain questions that can be answered with logic. There is also the question of character that is Socratic philosophy and logic. It is what questions emotions that is logic. Logic is not what questions but questions with answers. It is that what keeps things together. It's the cohesion of truth, storytelling, and character. Logic and philosophy is what keeps emotional beings human, instead of animal passion and emotion.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Well WAB, I'm not sure I get all of what you're saying but I will disagree with your definition of logic. I see logic as separate from philosophy. IMO, logic is only a tool - the process of drawing a conclusion supported by facts.

 

Ex: hypothetically if it is a fact that all dogs are brown.

Then I could logically conclude your dog was brown. BUT

I could not conclude the brown creature in my yard was a dog (it might be a cat)

 

It is also my opinion that what makes us human is our divine nature - ie we were created by divine power, analytical reasoning is just one of our abilities.

 

I think there is a danger in philosophy and logic in that man can become so absorbed in his own mental abilities he can become blind to truth. (spiritually and temporally)

[Eris_IV 0]

Interesting thoughts from all of you...I'm not as intellectual in my response since I've been out of school for a while and I have a job that a monkey can do, so here it goes....

I think mentally and morally humans are superior....But when it comes to technology, I'd have to say the the Borg are superior...When it comes to physical, the Klingons are superior...Biologically, the Founders and so forth...

Each species is superior to another in it's own way...I don't think that there is a super species of Trek that is superior in all things....

[Odie 0]

I think that Vulcans believe that theysuperior to humans because they see something in us that they see in themselvs. :( It appears that they don't like what they see.

[ussacclaim 0]

I think one thing about Humans that makes them superior, at least shown in Star Trek, is their ingenuity and will to survive, in spite of the fact that they do not have any readily visible abilities.

[scaleman 0]

And that's how revolts come about.  When people are fed up with feeling inferior, they fight back.

250427[/snapback]

 

Beedrill, if that's true then i guess the USA had no reason to fight the british in the late 1700's :(. In actuality, only a small portion of revolts occur through the feeling of inferiority.

 

Back to topic: as far as why i think humans are inferior; lack of maturity, and i mean maturity in all it's respects. I haven't exactly been adequately mature myself but some among my peers have been lacking it so much i'm just ashamed of my generation. But i've also heard that the average intelligence of an american (which is a portion of maturity) is somewhere around that of a 12 or 13 year old, which is pathetic.

[mj 7]

I think that the third season of Enterprise showed a characteristic of humans that was not apparent in the other races, and that is the ability to care about the needs of others.

 

Many have pointed out the questionable deeds of Archer while he was 'doing what he had to do' to save humanity.

 

But the crew of Enterprise never quite let go of their humanity. That humanity caused them to explore the spheres as they moved through the expanse. It caused them to try all kinds of means of communicating with the Xindi, leading to them hearing the Xindi side of things. They actually made informed decisions as they moved toward their goal because of the way they did thhings. By the time they reached the council and final decisions and actions were taken, they had all the pieces of the pie, and made the exact right decisions, for both humanity and the Xindi.

 

In the course of saving humanity, they also saved their 'enemy' the Xindi. I think the whole arc portrayed the best of humanity, in spite of some of the questionable things they did.

 

My favorite action of Archer was when he destroyed the prototype of the weapon, in order to keep the Andorians from getting it, and being able to threaten the Vulcans with it. In doing this, Archer proved his friendship with the Vulcans, and the fact that humans were not 'pushovers' to the Andorians. And he influenced the Andorians, as they, after Archer's destruction of the prototype, secretly sent over schematics of the weapon, showing no hard feelings, and a desire to keep the relationship open, and an understanding that a friend risks his own interests for a friend.

 

In light of the fact that the Vulcans and Andorians would join the humans in the future to form the Federation, who has shown themselves to be the better friend? The humans. The Vulcans held back from going into the expanse in spite of the desparate need of the humans (and the humans ended up solving the problem of the expanse for the Vulcans and everybody else!). The Andorians were really helping themelselves, even while claiming to be there to help the humans. But human example of friendship and support would eventually be the model of kind of support that the Federation would provide for each member.

 

It is an unselfish support that nevertheless does not ignore the need for self-preservation.

 

That is the central strength I think humans bought to the Federation, and is the 'glue' that makes the Federation work. I think it gives the humans the 'edge' that makes them worthy of leadership above those who were merely 'technically superior.' They can share technology, but for the Federation to work, it needed what humans had to bring, which at the time no other species was demonstrating to the same degree or with the same consistency.

[ensign_beedrill 0]

Beedrill, if that's true then i guess the USA had no reason to fight the british in the late 1700's

250598[/snapback]

 

I have to disagree, as that was the fight that was foremost on my mind when I was writing that. The colonists were feeling inferior to the "folks back home." What with the "no taxation without representation" and the like. The whole gist of the thing was that they weren't getting treated equally... they weren't being treated fairly... they were being treated like they were inferior. Even though England was they land they had come from, they were being treated like inferiors. And that's why they fought the British. If the British had treated the colonists like equals, America might still belong to Britain.

 

And mj, your points were smack on. Great analyzing!

[ARMS 0]

Humans are slow, ineffeciate creatures, it has taken me seconds to write this whereas a machine could do it much faster, and ensure correct spellin