Emotional Intelligence as the Final Frontier...

Introduction

Space… the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

This is the beginning narration of Star Trek, The Next Generation (TNG). The Original Series (TOS) started in 1966 and those words are still used in the new movies of 2011 and 2013, 47 years later! Amazing for a TV series that was originally pulled off the air three short years after it began. 

It was created by Gene Roddenberry; a man of great vision for the future of this world, and, in my opinion, a vision that humankind can and is turning into a reality now. He was the first producer of a TV series to show men and women and different races working together in equality and harmony on the bridge of the Enterprise. He also took the game of money off the tabletop. Then he gave everyone a common goal, “to explore strange new worlds”. This had never been done before on TV. It was a bold move, to give women equal standing to men, and portray white and dark races working together, and remove the elements of wealth and poverty, especially in 1966. Science fiction indeed!

What began in with Star Trek, The Original Series (TOS) 1966-1969 has now continued with seven years of The Next Generation (TNG) 1987-1994, six years of Deep Space Nine (DSN) 1993-1999, six years of Voyager (VOY) 1995-2001, and four years of Enterprise (ENT) 2001-2005. In addition to the aforementioned five different series, it has spawned twelve movies, six from TOS, four from TNG, and two relatively new ones (20011, 2013) starting the story anew from the beginning. The cycle continues. The next generation (ha, ha, no pun intended) is also captivated.

Over the years Star Trek has developed an avid fan base, spawned documentaries, websites, trivia, comic books, a prominent profile at Comic-Con Conventions, other science fiction conventions, novels, video games, animated series, and now, of course, all kinds of social media apps and gadgets.

There are many books that explore the concepts in Star Trek, the physics of the gadgets that seem like science fiction but are now closer to reality than sci-fi. There are books that explore the quantum physics concepts about particles or waves, about temporal flux, about wormholes and other phenomena. Some of Star Trek invented gadgets that are now coming into existence. Some of Star Trek explored new concepts in science. Yet, what I haven’t seen explored in much detail is the psychology of Star Trek.

I have been a Trekkie since 1966. I remember having fights with my parents because it would air around suppertime and they couldn’t get me to come to the dinner table. I enjoyed the mystery and the pace and the gadgets and the concepts, but what captivated me more was the dialogue. The dialogue explored philosophies to live your life by, facets of what it was to be a human being, morality and dilemmas, a social commentary on culture, the psychology of how to manage your own personal challenges, and the process of creating successful connections with others. This was what fascinated me. I used it as guidance in my own life, as a teenager.

And now? I am a Positive Psychology and Emotional Intelligence Coach. A what? And a what? Okay. Pause. Rewind. Positive Psychology is the study of what enables human beings, institutions (of human beings), and communities (of human beings) to thrive. Emotional Intelligence is a set of competencies to recognize, manage, and express your emotions so they don’t come back to bite you. And I created a model on how to do that and published a book about it. With undergrad degree in psychology and a Masters in Leadership, I am currently investigating a PhD in Psychology. So you can see, this is a topic that has become my calling. I am continually struck by the value of the dialogue in Star Trek to bring psychology to us in an entertaining and useful way.

What keeps me watching it now? Here I am 45 years later. Oh. My. God. Has it really been that long? I still like Star Trek. ST explores what it is to be a human being. It creates a positive vision of humanity. It explores what it means to honor and respect another person. The dialogue continues with refreshing clarity different facets of the human condition and cultures, from anxiety to friendship to loneliness to individualism to collectivism “to infinity and beyond” (Oh. Sorry. Wrong movie).

What makes me a geek? Or am I a semi-geek? Or can I make a full claim to being a geek? What are the criteria? I have watched every episode of TOS, TNG, Voyageur, and all the movies, many times over. I raised my son on Star Trek. I have read the autobiography of George Takei (Sulu). I read Dancing Barefoot and Memories of the Future by Wil Wheaton. I follow Wil Wheaton’s blog. I read The Physics of Star Trek. I am reading Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek. I read Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture (great book by the way). I love all things computer. I love innovation and creativity. I am a rebel. I hate convention and mindless adherence to routine and “that’s the way we’ve always done it”. I am smart. I loved the 70’s. Okay. That makes me an intelligent bohemian, semi-geek, baby boomer hippie. Something like that.

I love geeks. They are highly intelligent, quick, focused, and have a mind for detail. And being someone of youthful and intelligent energy, I am energized by the same. What I also see is, when geeks are challenged, emotionally and psychologically, they have a tendency to distract themselves by burying themselves in computer games and trivia. Because they recognize the absurdity of much of the conventions of society, they may feel like outsiders or underdogs. What do they do with their normal human need to belong? Along with feeling awkward in social settings and relationships. Incredibly bright but perhaps lacking some social skills that allow them to develop and strong social network and enjoyable intimate relationships. It can be difficult. For anyone. This is where I come in. As a geek friend said to me, “You are the corpus callosum for geeks.”

I am here to comment on the psychology of Star Trek for geeks. I highlight the connections in the dialogue of various episodes of TNG to what we know about how to be happier, healthier human beings from the science of psychology, neuropsychology, quantum physics, emotional intelligence, coaching, and philosophy.

We can learn from Star Trek! How cool is that? So, let’s add to our ST geekiness with its useful psychology to enhance our relationships, increase positive emotions and win the day. We will add its distinctiveness to our own. One caveat. I know you like accuracy and trivia and might have scathing opinions about my opinions, but don’t let that be your focus and end up missing the point of this book. And the point is… learning. Learning about psychology, stuff that just might make your life easier. And isn’t that what geeks do best? Learn. I think so.

So let’s go. To boldly go where no geek has gone before… Engage!