Thought provoking. Reminds me of some of the issues brought up in the show *Pluribus* from earlier this year. I think there are examples of this on the right and the left politically, as well as in families, of course.
It’s a useful metaphor but I think it’s also important not to take the metaphor to some extreme where working towards a collective good automatically becomes suspect and hyper individualism is automatically considered “free thinking.” Individualism (and consumerism) becomes an all-consuming, freedom stealing force as well.
Thanks for reading it Trysa. I agree that collective action isn't problematic as plenty of worthwhile things depend on people working together.
For me, the distinction comes down to outcomes. Does the collective produce measurable, relevant, and meaningful improvements for the people it claims to serve without being destructive elsewhere? If so, it's probably serving a legitimate purpose.
The fact that something claims to represent the collective good doesn't tell us very much. Lots of destructive movements have made exactly the same claim.
Thanks for this meaty article Nathanie. Interesting to see in the comments where it takes different people. It wont surprise you to hear that im interested in the Borg Queen and how they get selected. The rise of a Borg Queen may in part represent a resolutely distinctive person who strongly resists assimilation, and instead has to become a leader. And perhaps they have been nurtured as such by a devouring mother (or father). Perhaps they have learned early on ways to push away assimilation. But there will be consequences to a life orientated around being distinct and immune to influence. It is not difficult to think of modern day earthly Borg Queens. But how do we nurture a culture of productive non assimilation do you think? In theory.
Thanks for taking the time to read it Simon! I knew you'd have an interesting perspective and surprised for our shared interest in the Borg Queen! I like your developmental arc into the making of the Borg Queen. She would have learned how to do it by resisting it then using it to own people to ever prevent her assimilation. Doing it in a family was clearly not satisfying enough.
I believe assimilation is the norm, beginning in our families unless parents are alert to this and prevent their children from entering assimilating environments while educating about conduct and respectfulness without needing to submit to any authority.
For the rest of us, we will assimilate and it's learning harsh lessons from life's painful experiences that provide opportunity for developing discernment that is required to reconstruct one's relational blueprint to eventually immunise against assimilating people and settings.
Really well written and insightful article Nathalie. I’d be very interested to hear more of your thoughts concerning the apparently counter-intuitive mechanism by which the Borg Queen emerges. I too watched much of the Star Trek Next Generation series in the ‘90’s (it was on most evenings at teatimes in the UK) and was equally troubled by it. In my case it was not so much the Borg that bothered or interested me for that matter, it was far more the consistent (relentlessly) quiet compliance of the Enterprise crew with their counsellor Troy, brotherhood of man, “make it so” banality. A sense that they were never truly in any greater peril than the average management team at a Toby Carvery because their collective, hive mind wisdom automatically overcame all before anything had really even happened. This was the truly terrifying aspect of it all for me. By contrast Kirk, Spock, Bones et al in the original series were depicted as showing moral courage, conviction and physical bravery in their actions as well as being fallible with their petty child like squabbling and base instincts routinely to the fore. On reflection I was right to find the Next Gen crew far less likeable and relatable however, given what we are seeing in the world today, it was my mistake to consider them as being less reflective of real human behaviour.
Sounds like the pressure to be trans in middle and high schools. In this well off, majority white community the devouring mother popular girls/bullies found a way to create meaning for people who don't have other desirable identities to make them special victims. So proud of my kids for not going along, but it was lonely and scary.
I think that's a good example. Once victimhood becomes a source of status, significance, protection or belonging, people have a powerful incentive to identify with it. Going against that current can be socially costly, particularly for kids.
I'm glad your kids didn't get lured in and could see through it. That must be a relief.
Our Mayor is a woman, the board of supervisors who run LA county all women, 10 of 12 of our city council are women. All far left democrats, we have over 2000 people a year die on the streets here from overdoses, animals are tortured in encampments all the time & children are sex trafficked all over. So yeah this place is exactly what you describe.
Thought provoking. Reminds me of some of the issues brought up in the show *Pluribus* from earlier this year. I think there are examples of this on the right and the left politically, as well as in families, of course.
It’s a useful metaphor but I think it’s also important not to take the metaphor to some extreme where working towards a collective good automatically becomes suspect and hyper individualism is automatically considered “free thinking.” Individualism (and consumerism) becomes an all-consuming, freedom stealing force as well.
Thanks for reading it Trysa. I agree that collective action isn't problematic as plenty of worthwhile things depend on people working together.
For me, the distinction comes down to outcomes. Does the collective produce measurable, relevant, and meaningful improvements for the people it claims to serve without being destructive elsewhere? If so, it's probably serving a legitimate purpose.
The fact that something claims to represent the collective good doesn't tell us very much. Lots of destructive movements have made exactly the same claim.
Thanks for this meaty article Nathanie. Interesting to see in the comments where it takes different people. It wont surprise you to hear that im interested in the Borg Queen and how they get selected. The rise of a Borg Queen may in part represent a resolutely distinctive person who strongly resists assimilation, and instead has to become a leader. And perhaps they have been nurtured as such by a devouring mother (or father). Perhaps they have learned early on ways to push away assimilation. But there will be consequences to a life orientated around being distinct and immune to influence. It is not difficult to think of modern day earthly Borg Queens. But how do we nurture a culture of productive non assimilation do you think? In theory.
Thanks for taking the time to read it Simon! I knew you'd have an interesting perspective and surprised for our shared interest in the Borg Queen! I like your developmental arc into the making of the Borg Queen. She would have learned how to do it by resisting it then using it to own people to ever prevent her assimilation. Doing it in a family was clearly not satisfying enough.
I believe assimilation is the norm, beginning in our families unless parents are alert to this and prevent their children from entering assimilating environments while educating about conduct and respectfulness without needing to submit to any authority.
For the rest of us, we will assimilate and it's learning harsh lessons from life's painful experiences that provide opportunity for developing discernment that is required to reconstruct one's relational blueprint to eventually immunise against assimilating people and settings.
Really well written and insightful article Nathalie. I’d be very interested to hear more of your thoughts concerning the apparently counter-intuitive mechanism by which the Borg Queen emerges. I too watched much of the Star Trek Next Generation series in the ‘90’s (it was on most evenings at teatimes in the UK) and was equally troubled by it. In my case it was not so much the Borg that bothered or interested me for that matter, it was far more the consistent (relentlessly) quiet compliance of the Enterprise crew with their counsellor Troy, brotherhood of man, “make it so” banality. A sense that they were never truly in any greater peril than the average management team at a Toby Carvery because their collective, hive mind wisdom automatically overcame all before anything had really even happened. This was the truly terrifying aspect of it all for me. By contrast Kirk, Spock, Bones et al in the original series were depicted as showing moral courage, conviction and physical bravery in their actions as well as being fallible with their petty child like squabbling and base instincts routinely to the fore. On reflection I was right to find the Next Gen crew far less likeable and relatable however, given what we are seeing in the world today, it was my mistake to consider them as being less reflective of real human behaviour.
My inlaws appear to have been thoroughly assimilated by the ABC.
Many of the Aussie Boomers are indoctrinated
Sounds like the pressure to be trans in middle and high schools. In this well off, majority white community the devouring mother popular girls/bullies found a way to create meaning for people who don't have other desirable identities to make them special victims. So proud of my kids for not going along, but it was lonely and scary.
I think that's a good example. Once victimhood becomes a source of status, significance, protection or belonging, people have a powerful incentive to identify with it. Going against that current can be socially costly, particularly for kids.
I'm glad your kids didn't get lured in and could see through it. That must be a relief.
This sounds like LA leadership right now
LA is cooked!
Our Mayor is a woman, the board of supervisors who run LA county all women, 10 of 12 of our city council are women. All far left democrats, we have over 2000 people a year die on the streets here from overdoses, animals are tortured in encampments all the time & children are sex trafficked all over. So yeah this place is exactly what you describe.
It sounds more like a cool girls club than a democracy.
You are being generous to call them cool.
I was feeling generous then. Not so much today!
Chillingly accurate, Dr Nathalie...
I have to lie down now....
Thank you, C