Posted June 1, 2023, 1:54 p.m. by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Chief Science Officer) (Matt Evans)
Posted by Captain Dira Myqian (Commanding Officer) in Side-sim: Time well spent?
Posted by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Chief Science Officer) in Side-sim: Time well spent?
Posted by Captain Dira Myqian (Commanding Officer) in Side-sim: Time well spent?
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻(snip)
“It is why I’m here, the mystery still abounding in space and our universe.” Achilleas said with a smile. “My family wasn’t spiritual or religious and it wasn’t until joining the Ogawa that I was exposed to the idea of belief in a higher power beyond a vague whatever. Which is strange when you think about it because we know the Q Continuum exists and the Prophets in the Delta Quadrant wormhole, but is there something even beyond them? Who really knows.”
CSO Petrakos
She sipped her wine, giving herself a moment to think about the deeper truth as she saw it. “The way I like to look at it is, if there really is some greater power putting things in motion, we as individuals still have to make choices. We still create a path forward, for better or worse, and how we get to that destination depends on those choices. There’s no correct way to get to the destination either, so it’s about our experiences along the way. the more we experience, positive or negative, the more rich of an understanding we build along the way.”
Captain Myqian, CO
While in thought over this revelation Achilleas propped his elbow on the back of the couch and rested his chin in his hand. “I think that’s assuming we conduct ourselves ethically. Which I agree that we should as decent individuals and especially as members of Starfleet. But what about those who don’t? I don’t necessarily believe in karma nor do I believe that the scales are always balanced in the end. Bad people tend to get away with bad actions just as often as good people are rewarded for their good deeds.”
CSO Petrakos
“Absolutely. There’s no guarantee you’ll make good choices, and maybe you’ll continually make bad ones. But I’m a therapist so I look at behaviour rather than make determinations about people. I don’t generally believe in bad people, though I admit there are exceptions. Most behaviour can be explained. Not excused, but explained. And I believe that all people have an inherent worth. If they squander their potential or don’t have the same privileges that others have, that doesn’t mean they don’t have value. But it does mean that they have the capacity to learn, and when we know better we do better.” Nothing was cut and dry in life, that much Dira knew, and it was true, even when it didn’t make you feel better about a situation.
Captain Myqian, CO
“I’d never thought of people in regards to their worth. How would you even measure a person’s worth? Their worth to society? Their worth to themselves or a close group around them? Like the Ferengi in figuring a person’s worth in either gold pressed latinum that they own or the labor they provide? I know I’m probably being excessively nitpicky, but what is it that gives a person worth?” Achilleas asked with a bit of fervor. He probably wouldn’t have asked all of that if the wine wasn’t loosening him up quite a bit.
CSO Petrakos
“That is assuming it’s something tangible, something you can equate and measure. My believe is that it’s more than that. A person has an immeasurable and undeniable worth simply by existing. No more, no less. Now, how others view that person can change the value in their eyes but it doesn’t diminish the inherent worth of that person.” Dira was always happy for a philosophical debate and she had to admit it had been awhile since she had had one.
Captain Myqian, CO
“You said there were exceptions however.” Achilleas countered with a lopsided grin. “So how do we determine if someone is an exception to your belief that everyone has inherent worth? And what if someone doesn’t believe in their own worth?”
CSO Petrakos
She shook her head. “No. All people have worth. I said there are exceptions to my belief that there are no bad people. People who are inherently bad. I can concede that are exceptions. But I certainly never start out with that assumption. Their behaviour tells me that.” It was an important distinction for her.
Captain Myqian, CO
“I concede that we shouldn’t initially judge a person as bad.” Achilleas nodded in agreement but then shook his head. “How does a bad person have worth? If they did a bad thing once and then redeemed themselves that would be one thing where forgiveness should be given but in a scenario where a bad person continually does bad things that hurt others, then are they worth a thing to society?” He finished off his wine glass and reached for the bottle. He poured some into his own then offered the small amount left to Dira.
CSO Petrakos
She didn’t even bat an eye and simply held out her half-full glass for him to top-up. She was taking this glass a bit slower, but only by a little.
“Who are we to say they don’t. If each person is born with an inherent and undeniable worth simply because they exist, who are we to say they no longer have that and that they shouldn’t exist.” Dira shrugged. “If there is anything I know all too well, it is that the more you try to control people, the more it backfires. If a person potentially has the capacity to change but chooses not to, does that mean they never can? I don’t believe that. But, like I said, there are certain and very specific exceptions and they are more rare than people are often led to believe.”
Captain Myqian, CO
“What would you say these exceptions are?” Achilleas asked curiously. He took another sip of his wine after he put the bottle on the table and got comfortable.
CSO Petrakos
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