Grazing Rites

An episode of Enterprise has proven a wealth of helpful quotes to help explain what I’m thinking and feeling so I sat down and watched the episode on DVD to make sure I got the quotes correct…

Phlox: “Surprises, Sub-commander. I believe in embracing surprises.”
T’pol: “I prefer to embrace logic.”

At first glance Phlox’s line is appropriately Zen to his character and T’pol response is formulaic, like a Klingon saying ‘I prefer to embrace honour’ but upon further reflection there does seem to be an inherent conflict between accepting whatever happens and being a discerning logical person. On to the next scene…

Reed: “When I was young I always wanted to build a time machine, see the future.”
Trip: “You’re probably the kind of person that jumps to the end of the book before you read it”
Reed: “Don’t tell me you never wondered what it’d be like, how our mission will turn out.”
Trip: “Well wondering about the future and knowing it are two different things.”
Reed: “If Daniels came here and offered you a chance to go to the 31st century, you wouldn’t take it?”
Trip: “Some things are better left a mystery.”
Reed: “And you call yourself an explorer.”
Trip: “Where’s the fun in exploring if you know how it all turns out? Suppose you could look into some future book and find out the name of the girl you’re going to marry. Would you wanna know it?”
Reed: “Absolutely. Think of all the awkward first dates I could avoid.”
Trip: “Fine. So one day you meet Jane Doe, you go out a few times, and you pop the question, she says ‘I do’ and the two of you live happily ever after.”
Reed: “Sounds perfect.”
Trip: “Now, did you marry her for love or because some book told you to?”
Reed: “Well if we’re ‘happily ever after’ what difference does it make?”

I think most of us can see ourselves playing the role of either Trip or Reed, perhaps at different points in our lives but the questions still remain: Does it mean less when you take the easier route? Is a goal artifically achieved meaningful? Can you construct a feeling?

Do the ends justify the means or do the means sanctify the ends?

In each case there are two opposing viewpoints on the future - I think I would have to agree with Trip. The Phlox/T’pol debate is a little less clear-cut for me.

If you’ve found yourself wondering these questions with no clear answers in sight, take heart for I firmly believe you’re at least asking the right questions. Any philosopher will tell you the goal of dialogue is not to find answers but to find better questions. Any political scientist will tell you posing the question of what makes a better life elevates us all. So maybe I don’t have all (or even any) of the answers, but I’d like to think I’ve got me some good questions.

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