Saturday Night Seminar: Star Trek’s Mr. Spock spoke of an issue we face even today

Too often people will choose what to believe based on what they want to be true, and not what is, something Mr. Spock spoke of fifty years ago on Star Trek.

Mr. Spock is a wise man. Most Vulcans are. Yet, it was the words written in the third season’s 4th episode of the original series that have struck a chord. Spock spoke of people opting to believe whatever it is this wish to hold true, instead of what is. In a lot of ways, it was a stark commentary on how people saw the world in the ’60s, with their prejudice and bias.

Yet, in 2020, it’s taken on a more poignant commentary. With the rise of cable news, more and more people are choosing not just what news to watch but what news to believe thanks to so many different outlets existing. Most have some form of bias, and they use that bias to sell to their viewers. This is where Spock’s words from the episode And the Children Shall Lead comes into play.

"Humans do have an amazing capacity for believing what they choose and excluding that which is painful."

Sometimes people need to accept their reality. Even if it makes them upset. This isn’t a targeted column, as everyone is certainly guilty of it to some degree. This is simply something seen all too often in today’s day and age. An inability to see the forest for the trees, so to speak. Let’s all try and do better to not be so dismissive of things that we hope aren’t true. You can hope something isn’t true. That’s fine. I’m still hoping that people don’t actually put pineapple on pizza but I know they do. I don’t deny this as a fact. So be open to unwelcomed news. Be open to people who see the world differently than you. We’re all in this together.

And as always; live long and prosper.