I was watching Star Trek yesterday and I was struck by one particular scene. I was amazed both by how identified I felt and by how different my situation was to the one from the characters, yet at the same time so similar.
Short background: Data is a sentient android, fully selfsuficient and selfaware, but he can't feel any emotions. In this episode, he creates Lal, his daughter, who is thought to have the same limitation. As Lal interacts with humans and experiences the world, she becames aware of this and comfronts her father about it.
"Lal: I watch them, and I can do the things they do, but I will never feel the emotions. I'll never know love.
Data: It is a limitation we must learn to accept, Lal.
Lal: Then why do you still try to emulate humans? What purpose does it serve except to remind you that you are incomplete?
Data: I have asked myself that many times, as I have struggled to be more human. Until I realized, it is the struggle itself that is most important. We must strive to be more than we are, Lal. It does not matter that we will never reach our ultimate goal. The effort yields its own rewards. "
At least I have been in a situation similar to Lal's, wondering if transitioning is worth it, or why do I even try, knowing that no matter what I do, my life will never be as if I'd been born female. Most of the time the answer was "There was no other option, it was either this or suicide". I find Data's response much more benign, and I'll make sure I remember it next time I have an emotional crysis. It doesn't matter that I'll never be a cis woman. Just by trying I become a better version of myself every step I take.
Quote from: Lady Lisandra on November 23, 2017, 02:28:25 AM
I was watching Star Trek yesterday and I was struck by one particular scene. I was amazed both by how identified I felt and by how different my situation was to the one from the characters, yet at the same time so similar.
Short background: Data is a sentient android, fully selfsuficient and selfaware, but he can't feel any emotions. In this episode, he creates Lal, his daughter, who is thought to have the same limitation. As Lal interacts with humans and experiences the world, she becames aware of this and comfronts her father about it.
"Lal: I watch them, and I can do the things they do, but I will never feel the emotions. I'll never know love.
Data: It is a limitation we must learn to accept, Lal.
Lal: Then why do you still try to emulate humans? What purpose does it serve except to remind you that you are incomplete?
Data: I have asked myself that many times, as I have struggled to be more human. Until I realized, it is the struggle itself that is most important. We must strive to be more than we are, Lal. It does not matter that we will never reach our ultimate goal. The effort yields its own rewards. "
At least I have been in a situation similar to Lal's, wondering if transitioning is worth it, or why do I even try, knowing that no matter what I do, my life will never be as if I'd been born female. Most of the time the answer was "There was no other option, it was either this or suicide". I find Data's response much more benign, and I'll make sure I remember it next time I have an emotional crysis. It doesn't matter that I'll never be a cis woman. Just by trying I become a better version of myself every step I take.
This is wonderful!
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Quote from: Lady Lisandra on November 23, 2017, 02:28:25 AM
It doesn't matter that I'll never be a cis woman. Just by trying I become a better version of myself every step I take.
All the feels :)
I used to identify with both Data and Vulcans very strongly. This was a lovely scene so thank-you for the post.
This struggle to achieve these emotions, and then the even harder one to process and live with them is certainly one I relate to! X
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Lady Lisandra, thank you for that post. It has been years since I watched ST:TNG, but I always liked Data, and the episode with Lal was one of my favourites. Star Trek was full of wisdom, and the piece you shared is one that we need to remind ourselves of once in a while.
Quote from: annecalagon on November 23, 2017, 03:22:27 AM
This is wonderful!
Hi, Anne!
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I love TNG for this you can always find episodes that touch on our lives. Even though it is a sci-fi show it has some great story lines and I love Data as a character as a whole. I think we can all relate to him. He is aiming to be more human, this not unlike us as a trans community. We are striving for gender perfection in the gender we identify as, but we are not in the that gender. So we are always looking to emulate and come closer to it. So such a great correlation to what we go through.
I haven't seen that episode and it does sound nice. I can't identify with Data, though. I see myself as wanting to be accepted as who I really am, whereas Data wants to become something that he is not. Data's goal may be admirable but I see myself differently. That may be because I am not as logical as him.
I related to Data as the pre-transition me: trying to be something I was not. I didn't realize the significance at the time, of course.