This clip really came too close to home for me, by saying you can't do more by playing it safe. Wanted to share this on my blog. This clip was from the Star Trek the Next Generation series 'Tapestry'.
Yup, then Hollywood Rick Berman took over from Roddenberry and turned Star Trek into another soap opera full of petty little interpersonal and inter-species conflicts. TNG was a rare gem.
@@Savoots Under Roddenberry's gaze and direction. It wasn't until DS9 that they started turning Trek into Wars. It is damning when a viewing audience gets bored and loses interest if the show isn't full of explosions and shooting but rather is thought provoking and intelligent.
TNG was seldom thought-provoking or intelligent. I was usually latex-forehead of the week with flimsy plot and flimsier moral. And at the end, everything would be reset. (Or nearly so, only remembered when convenient for a future episode in 4 years' time, at best.) Most of the characters got bugger-all development, particularly LaForge, which is itself a crime given LeVar Burton's talents. (He's not equal to Stewart, but few are and there's no shame in that.) It was the mushy maple oatmeal of TV shows: bland enough to not offend or cause excitement, just enough flavor not to be confused with cardboard. DS9 had at least the guts to change characters' trajectories and give everyone development and relationships with each other. The actors had to be different people in different situations, which was marvelous. And sure, there were explosions (not that TNG lacked them, they were just lower-budget), but you cared more because the show invested time in developing the plot that got you to that point. It was never something that happened 20 minutes prior, it was usually two seasons in the making. There's really no comparison. It's just a shame that they gave Stewart and the other actors so little to really do.
@@tremedar For me you could already see the change after he died in the 6th season but it was far more acute in the 7th. I truly got the sense that the show was losing it's way without him.
This episode changed my life. It got me thinking. A couple of years after it came out I threw away my finance job and started all over at age 38 washing barrels in a winery at $12/hour. Five years later I started my own winery and have never been happier. Financially I am not quite back to what I made in finance but I am so much happier and living the life I wanted. It's never too late!
The Federation? He saved the entire galaxy by giving Picard the opportunity to correct the unstable temporal fissure that retroactively brought an end to all life within it.
I love this scene, no raised voices, no shouting, no arguing, no funny comebacks, no phasers, no battles, no fighting. Just pure, unadultered talking, with no need to resort to baser instincts. Amazing.
Somebody else somewhere else once said that ST:TNG is competence porn. It's an intelligent and competent team that works together and find the best solution always.
@Heschewingonit i think on a psychological level your right. Blue s a color that gives a persona feeling a calm or comfort while red is more of a indimidating color.
Ron D. Moore, the man who did the teleplay for this episode, has a special perspective on this episode's moral. He considered the episode somewhat, "autobiographical" for him. This quote comes from his commentary on this episode. "I had gone to Cornell University on a Navy ROTC-Scholarship and was sort of unhappy. And in my senior year, I essentially just bummed out. I stopped going to class, like, at all! I stayed with my friends and partied all night. I didn’t go to class. And if you do that long enough eventually they ask you to leave. And they asked me to leave. So, they asked me to leave. Lost the scholarship. Suddenly, just my whole life kind of imploded. And that was the moment when I flew to Los Angeles with my friend at the time Eric Salzgaber who invited me to come live on his floor and try to be a writer and started my life over again. But, it was always, and still to this day, is somewhat of a, this black mark, this thing that happened, that I did that I’ve never quite reconciled in my head. And when I was at Star Trek there came this dawning realization that, if not for that incident … if I had not bumped out of college in the way I did, if I had not lost the Navy Scholarship in the way I did and ended up on Eric’s floor I would have never sold “The Bonding” to Next Generation. I would have never worked on the show … I would never have been … I mean, all this sequence of events sort of came from what at the time felt like a tragic mistake that I was embarrassed about and ashamed of. And over the course of working at Trek I started to realize that, the irony of that … and so this episode comes from that sort of realization of looking back at your life and saying, 'Wow, things that I thought were huge mistakes at the time ultimately were the threads that became the tapestry of my life.'"
Education isn't a waste. That being said it also isn't for everybody, like Moore here, who thankfully found the path in life that was for him. Not that he should be proud of himself for bumming his way out of school.
@@aariuswins They arent braindead. Dont gatekeep what people should believe. Sorry everyone doesnt cater to YOUR specific politics or identity, but people different from you exist and thats normal too!
@@MLBlue30 The funny thing is that the people you're defending wouldn't agree with you. They believe that their ideology is faultless and anyone who disagrees with it is both evil and dangerous. Anyone who's ever spent ten minutes on a political subreddit could tell you that.
@@MLBlue30 They're arrogant and self-righteous. They feel no need to pay respects to what came before because they believe they're capable of writing something better and they are so certain in how right they are that they feel the need to preach to you about whatever it is they feel is important. You don't need to inject topical political commentary into everything. Things can be allowed to be timeless.
You know there must have been a hidden flip side to this, where Lt. Picard enjoys some of the things Capt. Picard never had, like a family to raise or more time to pursue his archeology interests, or write a good Dixon Hill holonovel. To suggest that things were only lost and nothing was gained by becoming a more cautious personality always seemed too black and white, like they couldn't afford to spend a few seconds on surprising Picard with a bittersweet pleasure previously denied.
Good point. I know Q said that nothing would change, meaning that perhaps Picard didn't have anything majorly happen in this B timeline that didn't happen in his old, but this version of Picard would have had a majorly different personality, one that was shaped by his own experiences that were uniquely different. Certainly, he would have occupied his time doing something, since not being in command you aren't on duty 24x7.
The thing is Picard had said in other episodes that he wanted to be a Starfleet officer since childhood, meaning he wanted to be a significant contributor to Starfleet. I think the episode is pointing out that whatever Picard lost was greater to what the might have gained because what he lost was his reason for living.
speeta, This Picard would have never finished any project that he set out to do. So, he would have been alone, unimaginative and angry at himself. He probably would have been another Barkley, creating holo-programs of sexy time with Deanna Troi.
And don't forget how in Star Trek VI, Chang said that, as Captain, Kirk was responsible for the actions of his whole crew (which sounds grossly unfair to me anyway!). In this reality, if another crewmember does something like-let's say-kill the head of a foreign power, it's nothing to do with Picard! He's off the hook!
1. Seeing Picard rocking the blue shirt was so cool 2. Q actually being helpful was truly a rare occurrence, it showed how much humanity has kind of made him less of a jerk through the years
Q is actually frequently helpful, just in his own way. His methods are...not gentle, but that makes certain that the lesson gets learned. The thing that bothers me about it is that Q is one of those, "do as I say, not as I do," types. He doesn't exemplify any of the behaviors or qualities he tries to bring out in others.
Picard: You were right, Q. You gave me an opportunity and took it. But I realized now that was a mistake! Q: *Turns to Picard in a curious manner* Are you asking something from me Picard? Picard: Give me the chance to set things right. Q: Before you died in Sick Bay? Picard: I would rather die as the man I was, than live the life I just saw.
Yea I really get annoyed with film clips of important scenes and they halt them right before the best parts at the very end of the scene. It happens more times than you might think. I wonder if they do that on purpose?
@@christopherdaffron8115 Sometimes it’s a necessary evil to prevent copyright. Paramount Studios is well known for going after Star Trek videos on RU-vid. Frankly, im surprised this clip has been around as long as it has.
Wow, this episode hits a lot harder when you're 41 years old instead of a pre-teen. Regret is such a strong feeling in life (especially when you're older), but our mistakes and failures, more importantly how we react to our mistakes and failures is what makes us who we are. Picard was also dealing with his own mortality in this episode. He either had to die as the person he was, or live as a person who's life was shameful, and he choose death. I think that's the reason Q gave him a second chance, because he beat his own fear of death. That fear is hardwired into our DNA, and if given the choice, most people would choose to live, no matter what the circumstances are, as opposed to dying. As big of a pain in the ass the Q were to humanity, they really did us a massive favor by getting involved with us. Maybe it was only to releive their own bordom, but whatever the reason, if the Q didn't let The Federation know about The Borg; then The Borg would've assimilated Earth, and the rest of humanity when they finally came for us.
@@cameronwilliams3599 Same for me. But with A LOT of help from God and Jesus I got (and still get) back on track and my life is now WAY better that 10 years ago. I am 47 btw.
@@derektaylor2941 Thanks, This is a prime example that a thing you already know sometimes needs to get brought back into your face so you are able to see it and think about it. I remember that Schwarzenegger did the same, and if I recall correctly Bruce Lee too. They made notes where they wanted to be in a specific amount of time. Pretty sure a lot of other people did use that technique too. I am getting up from my chair now; seriously. It's Friday evening and I have been sitting on my chair for hours after dinner and after a hard workweek, although I had planned a lot to do this evening and the next days. Thank you for reminding me. God + Jesus bless.
Or as it happens in so many scenarios: "I'm going to take chances and be bold!" (said over your grave) "What a stupid reason to lose your life." Sometimes "risk takers" and "adventurous" people die because they make bad decisions and take stupid, pointless risks.
Picard gives a great statement at the end of this episode about how our regrets are like loose threads on our lives, but when you pull at them you find you unravel the very core of the person you have become. I don't remember the exact words, so don't kill me if that's not word for word. While we have all done things in our lives that we may not be proud of, the lessons we have learned from those incidents are what help shape and define us as a person.
What if you absolutely hate the person you have become and would love to unravel that shitty fabric? Picard is a successful person, so of course he wouldn't want to... but what if you hate your own existence?
@@vincentlenart1697, Good question(s). I don't hate the person I've become because of my choices, but I do hate my own existence. I'm quite the 'hard a**', and very strict, but because of that, and the sky high moral standards I hold not only myself too, but everyone and everything I come in contact with; I have been rejected by most, and am very difficult to get along with. And thus it has also made me into quite the misanthrope.
@@vincentlenart1697 Tell me who hates their existance, the bad guys? they don't care, the good guys? they're too good to care. It's the mediocre that hate themselves and mediocrity starts and ends with you
Nice details, where Picard moves to stand out of habit when senior officers are called to the Bridge, and the officers that almost plow him down getting off the turbo lift because he isn't the captain now. Like "The Inner Light," this is a thought-provoking story that is not special-effects heavy. Q's delivery is fantastic, he seems almost tired bringing all this to Jean Luc. Later, Picard acknowledges that for the lesson, he owes Q a dept of gratitude. They could almost be friends after this. Almost.
I always hated the "take risks, stand out" mentality in the corporate world. Many times it leads to unnecessary risks, cheating, lying, and manipulating circumstances to be noticed...never about the completing the necessary work. Too many dependable, "unnoticed" workers are passed by because they do their job well, consistently everyday while the ladder climbers schmooze their way to the top.
I've always lived my life as a blue shirt, constantly talked down to like I had no passion or drive. At my previous job, they finally convinced me to take charge and apply myself. Within two years, I was asked to quit under the threat of being fired, because I had developed a "pattern" of insubordination. The truth is that their inflated egos couldn't handle the fact that I actually started swinging my weight around and stepped on their toes. Shortly after leaving, I got a new job that paid twice as much for half the work, and a year later I heard that the handful of people that complained about me got kicked out as well. Life's good :)
I feel you brother. My whole life I was always very polite and nice to people and would do anything to avoid a conflict. Plus being a big guy people liked pushing me around. When I started standing up for myself people hated it and when they challenged me I fought back so they all ganged up on me and got me to leave as they sabotaged any chance I had of getting clients by slandering me (I was a personal trainer) so I could not make a living. Now I am a car salesman and make more in a week than they do in a month and I work half the the hours they do and have weekends off and that does not matter so much too me but too them they were all about the money and fancy suits and now I have everything they wanted. :)
@Lone Wolf i totally agree. my first three jobs i worked with women and they spent the work hours whining about their lives,slandering someone or backstabbing one another,nobody did lift a finger towards because i knew too much of their "politics".i quit the last job and went to work for a distribution company warehouse.the work was 5 times harder and their was some idiot who tried to intimidate me on my first week,but after i stood up to him on the spot,nobody messed with me anymore.he even apologized to me after a few months.the hours are long,but i never worked so relaxed in my life.working with men his way better.and their's nothing quite like earning the respect of your peers through deeds,instead of political maneuverings.
For me, it's more like a reality check. When I was in my 20's, I believed the sky was the limit and that I could move up the corporate ladder with ease if I just put my mind to it. And then I actually tried to do that. I did my work competently, I let my voice be heard, I took opportunities and I eventually got promoted. And I hated it. My promoted job sucked. Sure, a nice pay increase, but the added responsibility and longer hours tore my personal life apart and I was nowhere near ready for that. I love my personal time and my hobbies. To have that being taken away from me to such an extent was a real blow to my morale. I stepped down from the position after only 9 months and quit working for that company after 3 more, because it didn't feel the same anymore. I felt inadequate. Now I'm just a simple employee working customer service and I couldn't be happier with my place in life. I get paid way less then what I used to, but I have steady hours, I like the job and, most importantly to me, I have my free time back. So to me, this episode feels like a sobering slap to the face. To me, it's telling me not to overreach because I just might bite off more then I can chew.
This is one of my favorite episodes of TNG. It also puts into perspective that Picard is basically meaningless to the survival of the ship. They essentially went through everything they did when he was captain and were still alive and kicking with him in some random post.
It's even something Picard told Riker when he passed up command of the Melbourne. "The Enterprise will get along just fine without you." He wasn't saying "You're useless." More that while you are a great man, and a lot of people love you dearly and look to your leadership for answers, there are many great men who can perform the same functions. The Enterprise won't be the same without you, but it won't be greater or lesser, either. You are not big or small - you are a golden thread in an auspicious, multi-color tapestry, and each thread does the same job of holding the others together while each still being special and vibrant on their own. *Rips a fat fart*
He remained competent, perhaps very much so, but he just never climbed the ladder of rank. Even the flagship needs cogs. It just needs more well-oiled ones.
@@JackgarPrime Starfleet seems to have perhaps a few thousand ships at most in a society of tens if not hundreds of billions. Most people will never make it into Starfleet and most who do will never make captain. This is like a nationally famous rockstar seeing an alternate timeline and being upset that he's only successful enough to make a living off music, or a US senator seeing an alternate timeline where he's only in the state legislature and being upset.
@@AlexanderRM1000 Hmm. It's not his becoming captain that's at question here but the fact his whole personality had changed. He'd become safe, static... pedestrian. All his drive had gone down the drain because he never learned the lesson that it's the struggle that makes life worth living. Carpe nocturna as they say.
Yes, the best Star Trek episode ever. I was the full man living the cubical life. I left a job of 26 years and had many adventures over the next 28 years without retreats!
This episode had such an impact on me. The loose threads that you seek to remove then in doing so you find yourself unwittingly unraveling the tapestry of your life ... What a powerful message.
Senior staff was just called to the ready room, but then a few moments later La Forge (senior staff member) pesters Picard for a statistical analysis. The only conclusion drawn is that La Forge is there in the ready room, the captain is saying something like "What are our options, Geordi?" and La Forge just has to hem and haw, and probably excuses himself to go to the bathroom before contacting Jean Luc so he can give a meaningful answer and not look like an idiot.
La Forge started the show as just Lieutenant La Forge. Captain Picard promoted him to Chief Engineer, if I remember correctly. So maybe the current captain just didn't see any potential in Geordie to be Chief Engineer, or hasn't seen it *yet*.
@@undrhil Or the current Captain had a better choice in mind when he took the Assignment , but that doesn't rule out Geordi being one of the senior engineers just slightly below the current Chief in rank and authority
Numerous Q-like entities, but never a "Q". There wasn't much to the character in TNG's first season, but once he was allowed to take the role and make it his own, Q became something truly wonderful. Pretty much the case in point of Next Generation as a whole. The moment actors were allowed to embrace and expand upon their roles is when they truly started to resonate. Remember, in the beginning, Riker and Troi were just Decker and Ilia, repackaged
I'd argue that the General Trelane canonically was the first Q to appear in Star Trek. Though from a production point of view the concept of Q didn't come about till TNG the writers have freely admitted that Q was based on Trelane and I don't think there was anything in "The Squire of Gothos" that negated Trelane from being a member of the Q Continuum.
Think about it this way, he spent probably around 30 years in starfleet at this point and his job is collating data, something the ships computer can probably do.
Picard is an arrogant man. Likeable and wise, but arrogant. I would hope that an officer on a flagship doesn't feel they've accomplished nothing. If you're on the Enterprise you're in the top percentile and just a few career advancements from command. Even Riker and Troi say Lt. Picard could attain a command if he worked at it.
It’s not that at all. He’s a person who looks out for those who go above and beyond. Statistical data isn’t so bad, but never seizing the initiative is. Maybe it’s callous to think of those people in that light, but I don’t think he looks down his nose at people who do that job. Simply those who don’t stand out.
Not exactly. It's just tedious to him because successful people strive for more. That's just how it is. The clip explains it beautifully in fact. If you don't select your goals and work towards them then you'll be a pawn of those who do.
There is a downside to this. Sometimes standing out and getting noticed gets you screwed over by those in power whom are looking to find the rising stars and crush them to keep their hold on power and security. I learned this first hand. Don't think hard work, dedication and diligence are enough. Know your surroundings, your superiors. Be smart enough to know you are either part of the plan or being sought out to be eliminated as a threat. As the time has passed since my "incident" I have seen it done over and over. Don't be duped.
In my case I'm neither. Because right now , my plan is very simple. I stay in the shadows until they screw up. When they do; I will have the last laugh. I'm already thinking about what I will do in the near future and how I will go about doing it.
Curious comment by Q here... "One who is less like me." This may help explain why Q took an interest in humanity (of all things) in the first place -- because the Continuum thinks humanity will one day surpass them.
@@TheLakabanzaichrg Is that even a question? 😅 It's easily one of the best tv shows ever made and more than holds up to this day. The first couple seasons are a bit rough certainly (although had plenty of fantastic episodes) and there are plenty of mediocre eposodes throughout. But overall the series is phenomenal. As well as that, DS9 is my personal favourite Star trek and is even more suited to today's streaming culture. It's far more serialised than TNG if that's what you prefer.
They're still around, it's just that they probably aren't hired to write stuff like this because apparently most people nowadays like explosion and lens flare sfx and are also more worried about being politically correct than content that is actually deep and thought provoking. Surely things wouldn't be the way it is now if people who think like us were the majority?
@@IceWarm Ronald D Moore also wrote the 2004 Battlestar Galactica, it's substantially more actiony (I loved it as a teenager but haven't rewatched since) but still phenomenal and has a lot of the same stuff that made later TNG great. Much darker though but at least in a more conscious intentional way than Discovery or Picard.
I came across this very episode one late night when I was at a crossroads in my career and life. It is strange how a some random TV show, meant to entertain, can strike a cord in somebody but it did just that. If you are able, please send me a copy of it that I can save it in case this video ever disappears.
Me, too. In fact, it was one of a number of factors that helped me decide to leave a stable, well-paying job, with good benefits. Why? My employer chronically overworked me for over a decade (typical for many roles in my field). And then its managers gave me grief when, due to ever-increasing burnout, I could no longer produce as much output as before. Plus the burnout was making me more and more irritable. The reduced production and irritability were the result of the working conditions, but my employer blamed me. One day, I decided that I did not want to work any more for that employer. I took on a fair amount of financial risk by leaving that job, and went back to school on a full-time basis. It's now several years later. I have a master's degree and a new job. While it is too early to tell how my new employer will treat me, I am resolute about maintaining a boundary between my personal time and professional time, and will no longer allow my personal time to be usurped by a callous or rapacious employer. More important than anything else, by doing what I did, I gained personal respect and confidence!
I took a couple. Didn't work out for me. Left the army six days before Desert Storm because I wanted a degree. Started a teaching career six weeks before Hurricane Katrina dropped a thousand more kids on my school. Going into teaching was the biggest financial mistake of my life.
@@iceomistar4302 Agreed. Cemeteries are filled with "people who took chances" and found out that they couldn't beat the odds. Be who you are and live the life you want - it's a TV show, for God's sake - not real life.
When it first aired, this episode really affected me. The moral is, don't wish your bad choices never happened; much about you today and in the future that is good will be the way it is because of those same bad choices.
Well put. I'm a better man now than I was when this episode aired, and a better man even then than when I was when I was much younger. You grow (hopefully) because of those bad choices.
This scene I think hits close for a lot of viewers. If you, as I did, while watching this scene thought, "OMG, I'm the Lieutenant version of Capt Picard", and felt a pang of terror, then...good. I say "good", because you have recognized little voice inside you telling you to do something more. Maybe it's alerting you to the untapped potential within you that's just laying dormant. The dreams, and goals, and ambitions that are yours, but have been "deferred", as I think Langston Hughes once wrote. If you got the feeling that you are (or are turning into) the blue shirted Lieutenant version of Picard, that is a sign that you need to make a change in some aspect of your life, because if you don't the result is going to be regret and resentment. Maybe not for another 5 or 10 or 20 years, but you will regret not have gone after whatever it is you wanted to do with your life. So many of us probably work a traditional, comfy 9-to-5 job, watch TV, go to sports games, and drink a beer with the buds on the weekend. Nothing wrong with that per se, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds (has found) that kind of life unsatisfying, and craves something more. Too often we are told/pressured by family/friends to take the safe choice, the one least likely to result in poverty or homelessness. Those are important goals, but the problem is that have a home and having some money and drinking a beer on occasion while watching the sports game on your plasma glowing rectangle is not sufficient condition for living a meaningful life. It is not, in fact, even a *necessary* condition for living a meaningful life. This scene reminds me of Steve Jobs' commencement speech a decade ago where he says, "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." He's 100% right about that. It's too easy to get lulled into a false sense of fulfillment by becoming complacent and bought off by society's distractions (entertainment, sports games, politics, gadgets, smartphones). I don't know if anyone has seen the film "Into the Wild" or read the same book, but the real life Chris McCandless also had a thing to say about taking a risk and living adventurously: "I'd like to repeat the advice that I gave you before, in that I think you really should make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." Not sure if anyone will read this whole comment, but I hope it makes you reconsider your life and gives you a nudge of courage to NOT play it safe and take a (intelligent) risk for greater fulfillment in your own life.
This is so well written. Personally I try to follow this ethos - fail and try again, but I'd never be content with a life like that. It's freeing once one realizes what Jobs says. It's all too easy to think you're a special snow flake this way, but it doesn't have to be that way either. Stay humble, true to yourself, and be critical of others' advice when they try to control how you live your life.
My experience is the second sentence of your comment and no more. In truth, I don't even amount to the 'Lieutenant' version of Picard - that guy had a good start in life - he graduated from Starfleet Academy - to provide some degree of pride, and wasn't completely useless. The episode is so interesting and potentially depressing. Of course, Picard doesn't have a family, nor does he even have to struggle to survive (two things which provide people with a sense of meaning), but in every other respect he's an everyman. The episode says that mediocre people shouldn't be able to accept their existence and that's pretty upsetting. Just think - in all those episodes where the Enterprise blows up, there must be a significant proportion of the crew who welcome death because they are suicidally depressed. So it's a way of thinking that can spur someone forwards, but it's also a way of thinking that can make someone hate themselves.
@@CBfrmcardiff Great points. I think this episode is trying to demonstrate what happens if you don't take charge of your life. We all have various hypothetical versions of ourselves and some of those versions are better than our present self and some are worse. We are all where we are right now because of the actions we've made and the choices we've made up to this very second. That can be frightening or even sad if we realize that we are now where we want to be or who we want to be. But that should also give us hope: because we can choose (right now!) to take steps and make choices to become who we want to be in the future. So say you're feeling depressed. Totally understand; I've been there myself. Honestly I would wager most people have at some point in their life. This episode invites you to ask why you are feeling depressed. Is it because you're not on the path in life you want to be? Perhaps you're living inauthentically and that makes you feel unsatisfied. The Lieutenant Picard lesson teaches you to understand what is making you depressed and then take ACTION to start fixing that. Let's say you always wanted to be a veterinarian (Fight Club reference, anyone?). But you're working a crappy office job. Today take the first step of action towards becoming a veterinarian. The point is to pay attention to the voice whispering in our mind about whatever is nagging you that "This part of me is suboptimal. I keep feeling unhappy about it. Thus I need to take some action to fix or improve it." If you're feeling mediocre in your life, ask how that makes you feel. And if that makes you feel like trash, then good! You nkw have motivation to fix that! All that's left is to start doing things that make you feel less mediocre. Keep your chin up and remember the key: take action to problem solve whatever is making you feel unhappy or unfulfilled in your life. I'm rooting for you man. Any for everyone else who reads this short novella of a RU-vid comment.
People are finding insult where none is meant, I think. The status of blue-shirt or mid-rank is not being denigrated here-those who work hard and reach that position are respected and admired. The point of this telling is that when Picard worked hard, he got to captaincy; this could have just as easily been a lower ranking officer to begin with who didn't get into Starfleet at all, the fundamental point is that we must all try our hardest and realise that there ARE risks to be taken in life. I repeat, this is NOT a damning critique on any specific level of success, wherever you may find yourself in your career, this is about being true to yourself and giving your all, pulling out the stops and making sure there 'really' is no more you could have given. It's a great episode and one I had completely forgotten about-not seen it in years but will seek it out online somewhere later tonight. Anyone think of any other equally powerful episodes the series produced? Loved TNG as a teenager but sadly left it behind with my youth, I'm in my late 30s now and *desperate* to make my mark in life; no job, no savings but several degrees in areas I wish I hadn't gone into. I despair at times but really want to help myself. I wish you all well.
The Measure of a Man is not the paper that hangs in frames on a wall, or the rank and station his attire reveals, or the numbers on a sheet of paper mailed to him by his bank. Rather, your mark in life is revealed by the people whose life you've enhanced in some way. Were you kind and friendly; did you cheer up those around you? Do you come to the aid of those in need, always ready to lend a helping hand. Are you eager to make others smile and laugh. I know people who don't do this, but rather grouse and complain and talk about what idiots there were on the road on their drive to work. They will appear too busy to help someone when the copier jams, or the be quick to point out that nobody made more coffee but left one or two drops in the carafe. Still, they won't be the ones who clean it out, empty the filter and make a fresh pot. What difference do you make in the lives of those around you...do you ease their passing through the days of their lives, or do you add a sense of burdens or of toil and drudgery to their journey. To me, this is the true measure of a man...this is what makes someone good or bad. I mean its easy to somehow categorize people as heroes and villains, white hats and black hats, but most people aren't that extreme in character. They aren't rushing into burning buildings, but at the same time they aren't chaining up people in their dungeons either. No most people are either helpful, cheerful, sunny, compliment generous types or they are complainers and whiners and negative, suck the brightness out of the day types. So where do you fall on the spectrum!
It's Very interesting how, in this scene, when the call for Senior Officers was announced. Picard, by habit of his old self, moved slightly to respond, then eased back, knowing his "current" state..
Tapestry is one of the best takes on the "It's a Wonderful Life" styled "what if my life has been different" episodes from any show. Almost every other version ends with the realization that others would be negatively impacted and so they should appreciate their continued existence. In Tapestry, Picard realizes that life should be measured by more than its length, and makes the decision to die. The fact that he gets to live in the end doesn't detract from the choice he made, and he ends the episode both enriched and truly humbled by Q's actions. One of Picard's finest moments.
This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite episodes of TNG. I love the message of seizing your moment and appreciating where you came from even if looking back embarrasses the person you have become. I love that it also shows a sentimental side of Q... not necessarily with his words but with his actions. He's almost like a parent using a tough love approach to teach those important life lessons. A side of him that makes you realize that Q's "interference" with humanity, and with Picard & crew in particular, seems to be more out of benevolence than his methods may suggest. It makes it look like he condescends and antagonizes as a way to inspire humanity to prove him wrong and be better than they are but also remain humble about what they have learned. I love that dynamic & I love this show! LLAP!
I was just talking about this episode with my sister and said pretty much the same thing but in a different manner. Q arrogance, antagonizing, mocking ways may have come off as an asshole of a teacher....but teacher he was none the less.
Absolutely love the message this episode has about not regretting your past and instead realizing that the person you are today is so only because of that past.
He still managed to get assigned to the Federation's flagship. We're always told that it's an honor to be assigned to the Enterprise, where you have to earn your place to be aboard, and they still treat him like some schmuck. Nice to see that Riker is still comfortably hanging out as First Officer as well. Still refusing to have his first command on any other ship just because it's not THE ship to have.
Riker acknowledged him as a very good employee. He's not a slacker and probably does take his duties very seriously, such as writing very good reports. But at the same time he likely does not do much else to expand his horizons, notably in that of leadership. When an opportunity to lead comes by, he decides it's too much and instead just wants to follow day to day type of work orders.
Well, Barklay was on the Enterprise too, so it's not really a 100% situation. There must be some menial positions on the Enterprise, and I doubt the most menial job is filled a a "world's greatest."
Well, to be fair, Riker and Laforge suspected Barclay had been unloaded on them as damaged goods (though alt Picard has no signs of being that), so I guess it is not unheard of or inconceivable that a subpar officer could end up there.
Not gonna lie ... this is one of the scenes that stayed with me until my recent adult life. You can't become anything without fantasy, without passion ... or entirely without risks. It is not about having a life, it is about truly LIVING a life. It inspired me to make myself vulnerable to take some extra risks, risks of making a fool of myself, to overwork myself, to get negative consequences for my actions if they weren't as successful as I hoped for them to be ... but until now, it worked out way more in my favor than "playing it safe" could have ever been.
True, but unfortunately life just isn't fair for everyone. I've always been an introvert, and anti-social. I have horrible anxiety, ADHD and OCD. As much as I'd love to change who I am and not have a mundane life, it just hasn't worked out that way for me. And the same I'm sure for many others.
@@zairman i know what you mean. I watch Star Trek, and I see episodes like In The Pale Moonlight about facing fears and going outside taking risks, and this episode. And it hits hard. But then i go outside, and i dont have the social skills or confidence to change it, nothing. So i just rewatch these episodes and feel regret but feel helpless to change it because i cant change who i am and everything up till now has enforced in me an extreme fear of people, of socialising, everything in the domestic sphere and my school life. I fucking wish i could be as reckless and risk-taking as most young ppl are but im not so i just have to live with being unnoticed, average and boring like the rest of us. Spent the last 3 years of college without any friends whatsoever, so i guess im on the path of becoming that lesser version of Picard
@@GuineaPigEveryday I think one of the most important competences is the ability to chose the right place, kind of challenges and scale of the tasks you invest your energy in. What are your strengths? What are you capable of, what are moments when you feel sufficient and perceive yourself as doing good? There must be moments, there are always possibilities. Think of the fish attempting to climb a tree ... what a competent creature, cursed to fail entirely because the wrong challenge was chosen. Imagine the commander of a destroyer thinking it would be his job to take down a fleet of battleships. Not everyone is meant to be a Picard. But those have still the option to become a Barclay. And it took a while, but he made some important difference as well ;)
@@piotrd.4850 The Dunkirk reference annoyed me. The only reason they dropped that in there was because it was cross promoting the movie that had just come out, and it was a familiar reference. Its such a random and vague reference, yet apparently everyone in the 24th century knows it? ST:P was so ridiculous...
It's weird how every time they portrayed Picard as an old man, in TNG and in the new series, he seemed to have lost everything about him that made him brilliant.
In the Star Trek universe, all your needs are handed to you, so you have the freedom to take those chances. In the real world, a lot of us are living paycheck to paycheck, and taking the wrong chance at the wrong time can lead to disaster. We may not get ahead by playing it safe, but it will keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.
And on top of that, most people are simply not cut out for greatness. Even of those who try to get ahead, most don't. Society needs ditch diggers just as much as CEO's and Presidents.
Even if you fail, at least you'll have tried. I have no regrets. I'm not wealthy but in my eight decade, I have enough for my needs and a head full of wild memories. Born in the developed world, you really have nothing to fear.
Josh B That's not the kind of "playing it safe" Q is taking about. Picard, who took hold of his many personal failures like a carving knife, and whittled himself into a man of great pride and responsibility, could only feel disgust and humiliation at a reality where he'd sat back and let the world do it for him. When Picard tried to go back and erase a few stupid mistakes from his past, he erased his entire personality. That's the message.
Well if that is the excuse you want to use then that is fine but there are billionaires who were either homeless at one point or lived in shacks. There are people who lost everything going after one goal but who are now successful business owners or political leaders. Yes playing it safe keeps you safe but holding on to things that aren't worth shit just because you're comfortable is no way to live. I rather risk it all than to live in mediocrity.
Some of the greatest men and women on this planet have made the biggest mistakes in human history and either have or had the biggest egos . Picard thought humanity's definition of responsibility was the reason he ended up where he was and Q showed him the truth. It was PIcards biggest mistakes that made him who he was. Those who are not afraid to make the biggest mistakes usually rise to the top and will be a leader in something. Those who play it safe will usually end up supporting those who don't or being slaves to the fearless . That is life.
i'd do just about anything to be even a "lowly" lieutenant in the astrophysics section on board the Enterprise NCC-1701-D. It's gotta be better than being stuck here on this miserable earth in this accursed year of 2020.
It's exactly the point of the episode that a person is who they are because of the things that happened in their life and that you can't just edit out a minor and unpleasant event and leave everything else intact. To transpose you into "Star Trek" would then mean to annihilate everything you are, everyone you ever knew, every place you ever been to. It wouldn't make sense to see whoever landed on the Enterprise as the same "you" anymore. There is a better way. People can find meaning and contentment in all kind of circumstances throughout all the ages. You can, too. It won't happen as long as you try to flee to worlds that aren't real.
"...never realized how fragile life is or how important each moment must be. So his life never came into focus. He drifted for much of his career, with no plan or agenda, going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves. And no one ever offered him a command. He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever, got noticed by anyone." I feel personally attacked, lol.
This sums up my working life. I always played it safe, never got noticed, was passed over on many a poromotion. I'm retired now and all that happened in the past does not matter any more. I very rarely think about my working years, until I saw this video.
Did you enjoy your work? DId you feel fulfilled? Did your work and life benefit and encourage and uplift other people? If so, then what difference does a promotion or lack of it make? You did a job you liked and benefited the lives of others.
What's sad about this is that Picard thought he was HELPING his male friend at the academy by protecting him from danger, but by doing so he was actually distancing himself and demonstrating that he cared more about "being safe" then being there for his friend. It's a good example of how human nature (in particular teenagers and those in their 20s) values comradery and risk over safety when it comes to relationships
I still think of this episode when I wonder myself if I played it too safe in my life and did not take enough chances or missed opportunities ...now that I'm 60 , it serves as a lesson that you only get one shot and life is not a rehearsal and you are living the Show......
Taking risks is risky, and not all risks have equal hazards. Before you jump, take a good assessment about the real harm you could do to yourself, and possibly others. If you need more skill, get it. But remember, nobody knows everything, even people experienced in their field are often making reasonable guesses.
That, in short, is what wisdom is: knowing what risks are worth taking. Prisons are full of implusive people who couldn't make sensible assessments of risk vs. reward, and were too incautious. And the legion of dull, grey men who never did much with their potential are comprised of those who played it too safe. The high achievers of the world are those who possessed the wisdom to know when to roll the dice, and the drive and determination to push themselves and work harder than the everyone else to make the most of the opportunities they found when taking those risks paid off.
@@Hibernicus1968 that last part sums up my multimillionaire Aunt and Uncle perfectly. They came from nothing as did most of the family, some did quite well, but through the sort of risk taking and drive you mentioned, surpassed everyone else tenfold.
Hollywood today wouldn’t even know where to start to make a series this good. Character development, conflict, storylines that make the viewer look at themselves. SciFi at its best.
I always thought this episode said that our mistakes are an integral part of our lives, and that thinking about having a second chanche or "what if"s is pointless
I love the fact that when Data calls for a meeting in the ready room, Picard instinctively readies to stand up, but it hits him; He's not the Captain. Just another name on the Enterprise.
Holy cow, man, that episode was twenty-five years ago (in 8 days). I remember seeing it as a 19-year-old, and it didn't make *that* much of an impression on me. Now at 44, it hits me square between the eyes. Q just read my mail, and I hate it, but I also appreciate it. Thanks for posting!
@@animateddepression Don't do that. That's just mini-suicide. It doesn't fix anything, it just takes you out of the world for a few hours. Own it, my friend, and move on.
watch the DVD boxsets with the commentary on. Most the cast cant stand him. Its a running trend with everything he is on. SG-1 - both him and Troi were in it and the director said he was a pain to work with. Where as Troi's actress said "noones heard of StarGate. Thats why they got me on it. Same with Enterprise. The ratings were declining so they got me and Frakes in for the finale." Voyager i remember a commentary track where the guy said "we heard he was hard to work with, and at first he was very pompous, kinda like Q on screen. But then we came to a mutual understanding." And Patrick Stewart was asked if they both get along off screen at a panel. "no. Next question" Want to elaborate? "no." And he wasnt doing it in a joking way, he sounded proper pissed off. even so, if I saw Q in heaven. First id pinch myself. Then id say "im in the wrong place. I wanted the cool place. Hell's just heaven but for cool people"
He'd have to share his position with Morgan Freemann, though. And then we probably need two more female Goddesses ... any suggestions? (PLEASE, don't say Crusher and Troi - there are hopefully more interesting choices in other series universes!)
@@AzguardMike To be honest, in Star Trek, SG-1 and Andromeda he was inevitably a troublemaker character to say the least. But then, this explains great antipathy visible on screen :D and laugh and Worf's "DIE". :D However, he played his character in SG-1 perfectly and when I saw him on screen in Andromeda, as Becka's uncle, I instantly knew that TROUBLE is coming :D
It should be noted that while Commander LaForge was still waiting on that important statistical analysis ... the Lt. Picard was hanging out in a bar. So yeah, maybe not "command leadership."
The thing is, even though he's living this alternative life, he's not THAT man. He's the Picard we know slotted into another man's life. So he'd absolutely stand out. He'd be recognized as an exceptional officer very quickly. Sure, arguably coming a lot later in life than it would. So might have to wait until he's an extremely old man before he got back to being a Captain. But he's certainly capable of rebuilding his career, because he'd still have Picard's skillset.
I remember watching this. We just heard, “all senior officers report…”. Then Laforge is still waiting for Lt Picard? Guess Laforge played it safe in this reality too! 😂
I suppose the idea is choosing a life like that which he had, either cut short or otherwise, or the one where he played it safe and ultimately accomplished nothing, fading away without much fanfaire. To get what you want, you have to take risks. Sometimes risks don't pay off. Playing it safe doesn't always pay off either.
Scarecrow545. You only fail when you give up. Do you think that the people who stand out succeeded on their first attempt. Thomas Edison said he never failed, he only found 10,000 ways not to do something. If he had just given up the first time he failed we'd never have the electric light bulb.
even if they fail at least they tried. i have noticed few chances in my life that if i had taken them i would be millionaire now but i did miss them and result is that i am bottom of the well.
I've played hockey and soccer since 6 years old. 50 now. Don't remember exactly when I learned this, maybe after 6 or 7 years of playing, so 12 or 13. There are many moments in a game where you should: step forward, drift there, step back. The correct choice depends on a multiple of factors. I noticed that often, especially when less experienced, not immediately choosing you would freeze or hesitate. In that moment of hesitation you would lose the moment. So, I created an instant default mode. When I felt the slighest smidge of unsurety or hesitation I would step forward, into it, be aggressive. That creates more success than if the default mode is stepping back or worse, inaction. Yes its arbitrary to the moment, but in that moment hesitation definitely can make it fail where as stepping forward tends to make it succeed. Stepping back often fails and tends to create other problems. It's all very nuanced and the time element really adds layers of complexities. Love thinking about. The philosophy of "the best offense makes a good defence" is fascinating stuff. The converse can be true as well. One thing you see when you read about combat is that once a line breaks and people turn and run, it's over. They get routed. It's very true in most every situation. Depends on how you want to play I guess.
Oh yes @Comrade Dyatlov, like when you played hard on 26th april 1986? Was it really a good attitude to try going above and beyond, always? May your spirits be raised and don't accept heartily this kind of lesson, people here are just talking without perspective. No one can know the mesure for yourself as well as you do (although don't reject all input, that'ld also be bad). For all the talk about usefullness, I haven't met someone who can seriously answer when asked if someone is truly useless, only self-centered arrogance that appears from this attitude. i guess what's important is being aware of your own consciousness; be a thinking animal.
Find something that gives you passion. Otherwise, you'll end up like me: a 49 y/o man who is dateless while living in a one-room "dive", just barely making more than the minimum wage. So many opportunities that I missed, simply because I was too scared to try them out. I played it safe, and now I am not showing anything for it. So...yeah.
@@dswynne Hey. I took some chances with different career choices, none worked out. I don't regret trying, it's just that i thought i knew what i wanted, but i'm one of those people who isn't career minded, like a lot of others. So none panned out, and i've struggled my whole working life. Just wanted to say keep your head up, it ain't over yet. Since we're talking Star Trek, remember what Picard told Data when they were doing the battle between the Hathaway and the Enterprise in season 2: it's possible to make no mistakes and still lose. That is life, he also said. Star Trek does have some wise words scattered throughout the series, my guidance and hope is first and foremost the Bible, but i give credit to TNG where it's due.
Gr8 acting by Sir Patrick Stewart! He can play one in authority....and play one UNDER authority....in tandem with each other....convincingly! How great is that!!!!?
no, its weird seeing him as a lowly underling. Thats whats so jarring and disturbing about this scene. Now if it was a random young joe schmoe it wouldn't be as sad.
TNG came on Netflix so I played it to have something going in the background, then I started watching it ironically for the lols, and then... And then... God damn you Patrick Stewart and what you've made me become
tapestry is great. makes you think. good writing and execution of this story was perfect. Take the chance, ask the girl out, go for promotion, throw the pass, steal the base, cut the blue wire, risk is our business. Don't have regrets, go for it!
Riker you gotta be willing to take risks. Lt. Picard. You mean like working on illegal cloaking devices? Riker: what? Who told you about that?! Picard: Or just standing there with your arms crossed while an unknown being killed Tasha? Riker: well I... Picard: I am getting lectured about taking chances by the guy that's turned down 3 starship commands? Because I want to make sure the same number beam up as beamed down? Really? Hey Deanna we've know each other for a long time and I love you. Will you marry me? Ha, there's a chance you haven't taken so far beard boy!
When I was young this was interesting in abstract sort of way. Now that I'm almost 50 I realize there were lessons here that I failed to heed. The Picard Q describes is uncomfortably close to the way I feel I have lived my life and unfortunately I don't get to have a reset from Q, nor do I get my life back to be more bold, more focused, more driven and less afraid to take the main chance. It's hard to imagine starting over from scratch now and it's even harder to come to terms with the fact that my health isn't what it was and the time to advance was years or decades ago. Now everything is much more difficult to figure out, and the window to find success is much narrower than before.
Owen is just relating to Picard and lamenting the areas in his own life where he didn't live up to his potential. A common regret. The number of likes he has suggests most people got that.
Excellent episode. Have used this video as moment for pause in my own life as I struggle/led. Here, I've always prided myself after a time for having 4 pips on my lapel, as I have been a Juris Doctor Candidate for some time. Problem is, I paused for a time to develop a savings plan, and now that I have substantial assets, I can't help but sit here and wonder if it makes any sense to complete my studies. Then, I watched this video again, and I realized I would much rather begin on that task now, than to be sitting here ten summers from now, wondering why I didn't take on the challenge, and get the degree, because instead, if I don't finish my law degree, I'm sure I could easily be that old guy greeting customers at the front door of Walmart, telling Y'all, that we have Nathan dogs, two for 5 bucks. So, I loved watching this very clip this evening, because I know exactly what I must do now for my own sake. Peace..- Jolan tru \\//
1:20 When the two officers leave the turbo lift and Picard gets out of their way, instead of the opposite, it shows how vanilla this version of him really is.
"I cannot live as that person, bereft of passion..." These words ring in my ears every time I've wondered about WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN... if I'd been more studious in school, if I'd been more diligent in my professional aspirations... If I'd been a CAREER WOMAN instead of an ACTIVIST who spends her free time tryin to see the world become a better place... Q may have been a black sheep of his kind, but the lessons he and Picard taught one another are truly some of the best written stories in the series.
0:48 "Senior officers, please report to the captains ready room." And Picard had this brief movement like he wanted to get up....only to remember that he wasn't a senior officer any more, let alone the captain.... That's a nice touch.
"I can't live out my days as that person! That man is bereft of passion...and imagination! THAT IS NOT WHO I AM!" This episode hit such a chord with me, thinking about how different my life would have been had I taken more chances, and be willing to fail, and had direction or an agenda in my younger days.
