In the Star Trek pilot episode The Cage, Captain Pike was kidnapped on Talos 4, and the aliens have just reached out across space and snatched-away Number One. This confirms Mr. Spock’s suspicions that the Talosians’ tremendous mental powers are not planet-bound. Worse, their action places him in effective command of the ship.
At least he is not alone. Before deciding how to proceed, he apparently visits Sick Bay to ask Dr. Phil’s advice. Both are men of science, and have consistently warned Number One that any attempt to rescue Pike could provoke significant Talosian retaliation. While we are not privy to their conversation, we see the result. Mr. Spock walks stiffly onto the bridge and takes the command chair. Dr. Phil follows him from the lift and stands directly behind as Spock, with clipped diction, switches on the ship-wide channel and announces: “This is the acting captain speaking.”
The manner in which he sits, as if the seat of the captain’s chair has been strewn with broken glass, makes clear that he has no wish to abandon Captain Pike or Number One. Yet, presented with unwanted responsibilities, Mr. Spock utters these painful words. “We have no choice now but to consider the safety of this vessel and the remainder of her crew. We’re leaving.”
We may not be responsible for the lives of hundreds of people, but events in our lives often call into question our long-term goals. The old adage “Quitters never win and winners never quit,” reflects the understandable desire to never surrender, but we must temper its application with the knowledge that we cannot expect to win every battle we undertake. To pursue goals we have no reasonable hope of achieving is to sacrifice the accomplishment of other worthwhile tasks more suited to our abilities.
Giving into fear, or opting for the easy path, is no more laudable than blind loyalty to a hopeless cause. Periodic reassessment demonstrates wisdom, and persistence is a necessary component of winning long and difficult struggles. But once you realize that a given situation has deteriorated beyond your ability to save, an immediate escape is advisable. Or, like Mr. Spock, you may find the lights fading around you, your power systems draining away, and that you have become trapped in a situation from which extracting yourself is no longer possible.
At least he is not alone. Before deciding how to proceed, he apparently visits Sick Bay to ask Dr. Phil’s advice. Both are men of science, and have consistently warned Number One that any attempt to rescue Pike could provoke significant Talosian retaliation. While we are not privy to their conversation, we see the result. Mr. Spock walks stiffly onto the bridge and takes the command chair. Dr. Phil follows him from the lift and stands directly behind as Spock, with clipped diction, switches on the ship-wide channel and announces: “This is the acting captain speaking.”
The manner in which he sits, as if the seat of the captain’s chair has been strewn with broken glass, makes clear that he has no wish to abandon Captain Pike or Number One. Yet, presented with unwanted responsibilities, Mr. Spock utters these painful words. “We have no choice now but to consider the safety of this vessel and the remainder of her crew. We’re leaving.”
We may not be responsible for the lives of hundreds of people, but events in our lives often call into question our long-term goals. The old adage “Quitters never win and winners never quit,” reflects the understandable desire to never surrender, but we must temper its application with the knowledge that we cannot expect to win every battle we undertake. To pursue goals we have no reasonable hope of achieving is to sacrifice the accomplishment of other worthwhile tasks more suited to our abilities.
Giving into fear, or opting for the easy path, is no more laudable than blind loyalty to a hopeless cause. Periodic reassessment demonstrates wisdom, and persistence is a necessary component of winning long and difficult struggles. But once you realize that a given situation has deteriorated beyond your ability to save, an immediate escape is advisable. Or, like Mr. Spock, you may find the lights fading around you, your power systems draining away, and that you have become trapped in a situation from which extracting yourself is no longer possible.
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