Tapestry: Picard's paradox

[Sandra Rozhon]

Small spoilers ahead

Although I enjoyed this episode a lot, it bothered me that the man Picard
had become to achieve the rank of Captain had so little pizazz that when
he used his adult Captain type skills to thwart his own stabbing

Although I enjoyed this episode a lot, there's a little paradox that bothers
me. When Picard goes back to thwart his own stabbing, he acts very much like
Capt. Picard would - by attempting to prevent violence. Yet, these very
traits result in a "nobody" in his second attempt at life.

Is this telling us that Picard is too diplomatic and has lost his flair?
If those traits aren't good enough to have him be promoted through the ranks
in his second life, why were they good enough for the first?

--
|~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~|
| O | Sandra Rozhon aa...@cleveland.freenet.edu| O |
| | Personalized Computer Support (216) 631-7838| |
| O | > Tutoring, training, hardware & software installations < | O |

[Mike Judson]

In article <1mdrle...@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> aa...@cleveland.Freenet.Edu
(Sandra Rozhon) writes:
#
# Small spoilers ahead
# 
# Although I enjoyed this episode a lot, it bothered me that the man Picard
# had become to achieve the rank of Captain had so little pizazz that when
# he used his adult Captain type skills to thwart his own stabbing
#
# Although I enjoyed this episode a lot, there's a little paradox that bothers
# me. When Picard goes back to thwart his own stabbing, he acts very much like
# Capt. Picard would - by attempting to prevent violence. Yet, these very
# traits result in a "nobody" in his second attempt at life.

Perhaps the qualities which allow a person to become a captain are
those of the young, brash, active, Picard. However, in order to
remain captain (excepting Kirk), a person must be somewhat diplomatic
and be in firm control of the situation to prevent violence.

# Is this telling us that Picard is too diplomatic and has lost his flair?
# If those traits aren't good enough to have him be promoted through the ranks
# in his second life, why were they good enough for the first?
#
# --
# |~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~|
# | O | Sandra Rozhon aa...@cleveland.freenet.edu| O |
# | | Personalized Computer Support (216) 631-7838| |
# | O | > Tutoring, training, hardware & software installations < | O |

--
You know what would make a good story? Something about a clown
who makes people happy, but inside he's real sad. Also, he has
severe diarrhea.

Jack Handy

jud...@watserv.ucr.edu

[Bruce E Haddad -- Personal Account]

[stuff about the mature Picard's personality causing a dullard when
applied to a youthful Picard decision making]

I think the message is that the youth that watch this show and emulate
the characteristics of a "mature" role model are doing themselves a
disservice.

The trek society is, by Picards own description, no longer interested in
material gains (re: the show about 20th century cryonics in the 24th
century). Now - if material gains aren't important, why is the Admirals
quarters so much better than the normal crewmembers? This is material
rewards (without ownership) based on the power one weilds.

Therefore, the wealth is not materialistic but based upon power. Those
with the power, are given materialistic goods and services as rewards.
There may not me money but there IS materialism.

What does this have to do with Picard?? Well - he was concerned about
his power rather than his lifestyle. He was "greedy" for those perks that
power gave him. If he was as humanistic as he would like to believe, he
would have found peace in such things as - perhaps Bev wasn't there because
Jack wasn't killed! Or - the universe was NOT over-ridden by the Borg!
Or - a miriad of other things that didn't happen because he wasn't
Captain Picard. All that mattered to him was that he get his life back!

I also see the possibility that the point is NOT that Picard needed to be
wild to have matured this way but that all events have their consequences
and that the consequences of any given event or set of events is a natural
consequence. Period! In other words - nobody really knows what the world
would have been like if Hitler had allied with England! Or - what would
the world have been like if Carter was re-elected! Or - ......... you name
it!

Then again - they may have meant that Picard is the sum of the actions and
events of his life. He cannot go back and apply the Picard of today with
the motivations of the Picard of yesterday!

What??? Just entertainment??!?!?!? Naw!!!

Bruce