StarTrekTNG: How is Data not a sociopath?

[DudeistBelieve]

So I'm FINALLY binge watching StarTrek. I'm well into the 2nd season, and we've established that Data is a sentient being and not a toaster.

Here's my problem, Data's whole deal is that he doesn't have emotions, right? So how is he not a muderous sociopath in a situation that makes being so the most prudent?

on a sidenote: Anyone know what happened to Doctor Crusher in Season 2, did her actress want time off or something? Not that I'm complaining, I think Pulaski is a wayyyyy better doctor.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

Dr Crusher spent a year at a starbase, or something. I can't remember if they mentioned that in the show, but it's common knowledge among Trekkies. Many fans prefer Pulaski but I find her irritating and too similar to McCoy from TOS. If I were a patient, I would trust Pulaski over Crusher who perpetually appears to be on sedatives.

As for Data, he's a 100% rational being. Murder would likely result in him being destroyed, and the unnecessary destruction of life, so it would seem senseless to him. He does have values, and values don't always arise from emotion.

 

[Supernova1138]

Data has an ethical program installed into him by his creator that instills a high value for sentient lives. As such, Data will only kill if absolutely necessary to defend himself, or if he finds himself against a particularly reprehensible individual, this comes up in a Season 3 episode I believe.

As for Crusher, apparently her actress, Gates McFadden was getting sexually harassed by TNG Season 1 and 2 writer and producer Maurice Hurley, which led to her leaving the show for the second season. She returned at the start of the 3rd season after Hurley left the show. You're also probably one of the few people who likes Dr. Pulaski, most people find her to be grating, particularly in her treatment of Data.

 

[Vault101]

hey me too! I'm on season 5

So
Here's my problem, Data's whole deal is that he doesn't have emotions, right? So how is he not a muderous sociopath in a situation that makes being so the most prudent?

why would his first conclusion be to murder?

he might not have emotions but he wants to emulate humans. killing them would not be a good start

[quote/]on a sidenote: Anyone know what happened to Doctor Crusher in Season 2, did her actress want time off or something? Not that I'm complaining, I think Pulaski is a wayyyyy better doctor.[/quote]
its funny...people have always hated Polaski and I've never understood why, she's dedicated to her field and eah she's a bit grating but that's supposed to be the point, I like her intro

but anyway Crusher comes back which I was glad to see...I mean how can you hate anyone with a name like Gates McFadden? (though there was some rumor roddenbrry didn't like her or something...don't know how true it is)

also the baby episode

..yeeeeeah the baby episode 0_0

You're also probably one of the few people who likes Dr. Pulaski, most people find her to be grating, particularly in her treatment of Data.

my cynical side tells me its a bit like an opposite of skyler white syndrome...

EDIT: I mean skyler white syndrome but for different reasons

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

snip

Any TNG fans, correct me if I'm mistaken here. I just thought I'd mention that the impression I get is that the show-writers wanted to recreate the Bones/Spock dynamic with Pulaski/Data. Problem is, while Spock's attitude is one of racial upbringing, and he has more of a back and forth "vitriolic best buds" deal going on with Bones, Data is literally being teased/insulted for his programming by Pulaski, something that he cannot help, and he acts more confused rather than amused. This results in Pulaski coming off as a bully.

Again, I've only seen a handful of episodes, all of two of which were Pulaski-era, so I may be wrong. That's just the impression I get.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Data has an ethical program installed into him by his creator that instills a high value for sentient lives. As such, Data will only kill if absolutely necessary to defend himself, or if he finds himself against a particularly reprehensible individual, this comes up in a Season 3 episode I believe.

As for Crusher, apparently her actress, Gates McFadden was getting sexually harassed by TNG Season 1 and 2 writer and producer Maurice Hurley, which led to her leaving the show for the second season. She returned at the start of the 3rd season after Hurley left the show. You're also probably one of the few people who likes Dr. Pulaski, most people find her to be grating, particularly in her treatment of Data.

I thought that was just to set up the "Is Data Human?" episode. Afterwards she seems pretty chill with Data.

Anyway, that does solve that question. I just mean it's weird like he finds some little primitive alien girl on a planet, he doesn't have to talk to the girl or stop her planet from exploding. It's actually easier to not do anything, Prime Directive and all, but he was so invested in saving his friend.

 

[Vault101]

Any TNG fans, correct me if I'm mistaken here. I just thought I'd mention that the impression I get is that the show-writers wanted to recreate the Bones/Spock dynamic with Pulaski/Data. Problem is, while Spock's attitude is one of racial upbringing, and he has more of a back and forth "vitriolic best buds" deal going on with Bones, Data is literally being teased/insulted for his programming by Pulaski, something that he cannot help, and he acts more confused rather than amused. This results in Pulaski coming off as a bully.
.

I guess that's fair enough, I always thought it was just character development, kind of like how people seem to forget the fact hat Ashley Williams actually got over her mild racism...you know....like some people do

Data isn't a sociopath because he was built after his brother and Noonian Soong never made the same mistake twice.

heh "Noonian"

was his nickname Noo-Noo?

 

[Edith The Hutt]

Data isn't a sociopath because he was built after his brother and Noonian Soong never made the same mistake twice.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Does not having emotions make you a murderer? Can't you decide that murder is bad in a logical way?

 

[mad825]

Calling Data a sociopath is like saying an Alien from the planet Omicron Persei 8 suffers from human medical conditions.

Data is not stupid and his ethical responsibilities is inherited from "birth". Sociopaths tend to lack the intelligence and it is a condition that is learnt and therefore can be treated with cognitive behaviour therapy.

 

[Siege_TF]

was his nickname Noo-Noo?

His nickname, if Lore is to be believed was 'off'n wrong' (a combination of 'off' and 'often').

Dr. Polawski: "Well this has been an enlightening discussion, perhaps you can find some room in your memory banks to store it."
Data: "I certainly will... and I'm sure you know exactly where you can store it."
Westly: ;

 

[Thaluikhain]

was his nickname Noo-Noo?

His nickname, if Lore is to be believed was 'off'n wrong' (a combination of 'off' and 'often').

Hey? I thought it was just "Often Wrong", "off" had nothing to do with it.

 

[Fasckira]

I preferred Polawski the second time I watched the show when I was older. She was one of the few crew members who actually seemed to give a shit about the safety of the ship and her job. Plus, and I appreciate I may earn some wrath here, but I just didnt rate Gates as a good actress. Her lines felt so... restrained? Like all her heart wasn't really into it.

I recall the episode where Wesley got her dumped into her own universe bubble (classic Wesley) and she just didnt seem to really react right. Meh, maybe I'm just finding things to nag about.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

So I'm FINALLY binge watching StarTrek. I'm well into the 2nd season, and we've established that Data is a sentient being and not a toaster.

Here's my problem, Data's whole deal is that he doesn't have emotions, right? So how is he not a muderous sociopath in a situation that makes being so the most prudent?

on a sidenote: Anyone know what happened to Doctor Crusher in Season 2, did her actress want time off or something? Not that I'm complaining, I think Pulaski is a wayyyyy better doctor.

Remember Lore? That's why Data isn't a sociopath.

Data's creator, Noonien Soong, didn't have the foresight to think of what you just have, and Lore did turn out to be a violent sociopath, even with his emotions. So Soong made Data without those unstable and unpredictable emotional flaws, and gave him a desire to be like humans, which helps with the whole not killing them thing.

The point is, in Star Trek people are better than they are now. Data's desire to be human makes him want to better himself. Just because he doesn't have an emotional attachment to anything doesn't mean he can't appreciate a life, or follow a moral code. He is the best of all possible emotionless androids, because Star Trek is about seeing the positive side of technology and progress.

 

[happyninja42]

hey me too! I'm on season 5

So
Here's my problem, Data's whole deal is that he doesn't have emotions, right? So how is he not a muderous sociopath in a situation that makes being so the most prudent?

why would his first conclusion be to murder?

The OP has probably been watching too much Dexter, and thus equates "No Emotions" with "Homicidal Maniac". He's binge watching tv shows on netflix, and Dexter's there too. xD

But yeah, he's got programming to value life. It's one reason why Lore is so messed up, his programming wasn't done correctly. And I would point out that he's got emotions from his first incarnation, and he's a homicidal maniac. So it's not an issue of no emotions.

 

[happyninja42]

I preferred Polawski the second time I watched the show when I was older. She was one of the few crew members who actually seemed to give a shit about the safety of the ship and her job. Plus, and I appreciate I may earn some wrath here, but I just didnt rate Gates as a good actress. Her lines felt so... restrained? Like all her heart wasn't really into it.

I recall the episode where Wesley got her dumped into her own universe bubble (classic Wesley) and she just didnt seem to really react right. Meh, maybe I'm just finding things to nag about.

Interesting, because I feel the same way about Polaski. The actress didn't really seem to give a damn about the job, or at least her performance didn't project that across the screen. And she was way to egotistical. She was always right about everything, and so condescending to everyone around her. She just rubbed me the wrong way. I don't think Crusher was much better as far as quality of acting? But she was a very sexy redheaded older woman, and I have a thing for older women, so I always enjoyed her more. Yes, she gets a higher ranking because she was a MILF to my teenage brain, I make no excuses for this fact, and embrace it proudly.

Mmmm, yes Dr. Crusher, give me a physical....mmmmm.

 

[Fasckira]

But she was a very sexy redheaded older woman, and I have a thing for older women, so I always enjoyed her more. Yes, she gets a higher ranking because she was a MILF to my teenage brain, I make no excuses for this fact, and embrace it proudly.

Mmmm, yes Dr. Crusher, give me a physical....mmmmm.

Well yeah, I mean if we're talking eye candy then she trumps Polawski! Personally was more of a Troi kind of guy myself though.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

was his nickname Noo-Noo?

His nickname, if Lore is to be believed was 'off'n wrong' (a combination of 'off' and 'often').

Hey? I thought it was just "Often Wrong", "off" had nothing to do with it.

"Often wrong has a broken heart, he can't even tell his sons apart."

Man, Lore was awesome.

 

[flying_whimsy]

Apart from the ethical subroutines Data has that others have mentioned, he was also loaded with the memories (brain scans, personal logs, whatever) from a small human colony, too. I don't think he was actually programmed to want to be human, but it's just a natural evolution of his desire to understand the universe around him.

What always got me about Data was how long he's been in Starfleet. Seriously, he's been there since they had the red uniforms of the old star trek movies. When that one engineer wants to have data classified as equipment so he can rip him apart, it makes me wonder why no one just smacked him upside the head and told him to stop fucking with the longest serving officer.

 

[Thaluikhain]

"Often wrong has a broken heart, he can't even tell his sons apart."

Man, Lore was awesome.

I preferred the singing, myself.

But, that ep...let the kids run round in the poisonous garden. And at the end of the ep, tell Data that one forgave the other because they were brothers, and brothers always forgive each other...yeah, no. No.

What always got me about Data was how long he's been in Starfleet. Seriously, he's been there since they had the red uniforms of the old star trek movies. When that one engineer wants to have data classified as equipment so he can rip him apart, it makes me wonder why no one just smacked him upside the head and told him to stop fucking with the longest serving officer.

Hey? Doesn't he specify that he's got 27 years in that ep where he gets command on a not great ship as part of a blockade against the Romulans?

Sure, one one off mention, but I've always thought that sounded right for his rank.