Thought Experiment -- What we can learn from fiction

You know in my time on this pale blue dot ive studied very very many leaders and their decisions both good and bad. I mean good and bad in terms of leadership not morality to which I have also studied.

Ive come across an interesting thought. Most people shame using fictional characters as references and inspirations mainly due to the fact they are fiction. Here is the interesting thought? Should we frown upon this or should we learn from the fictional characters. They are created by real people? In some ways they are rooted in some form of reality.

The example I will use this is from Star Trek

Star Fleets Great command Jean-Luc Picard.


"Captain Jean-Luc Picard is the model of a great 24th Century Starfleet captain. On his watch, the crew of the Enterprise successfully defended humanity against the judgement of the Q-Continuum, defeated the Borg, prevented the Romulans from installing a puppet government in the Klingon Empire, and encountered countless new species.

Although Captain Picard’s style was very different from Captain Kirk’s, he was also an incredibly successful leader. "

His speeches that were inspirational can be found here for those who have not watched.

Here are examples where people take exerpts from his fictional story and apply them to life and leadership.

LOL this one isnt showing:

https://www.space.com/41445-what-star-trek-capt-picard-taught-me.html

My great thought experiment to the forum is to discuss this. Have you found yourself in a situation where you frown on taking or someone else taking examples from fiction? Why? At the root of the issue why did you do so. Nobody is right or wrong here.

There are other examples and feel free to bring them up but this came from a discussion in the lounge and I thought why not entertain the community with it.

Discuss!

Ive found myself finding some fictional figures lessons to be sometimes better for personal leadership IRL. Although I dont always pull from fiction. Im curious to see what the community says

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Most people shame using fictional characters as references and inspirations mainly due to the fact they are fiction.

55% of the world disagrees with this.

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You know If its that close we are seriously splitting hairs. It is at the very least a systemic issue… If you were to say 97 percent disagrees I would then feel a little absent of words. Given thats not very true I can settle for the near majority if I must

I suppose I should flesh out my thought a bit more, given that this is a thought experiment…

Comparing Federation Captains…

Let’s fast forward to the 29th Century and poll Captain Braxton about Jean Luc Picard. His opinion of him, an actual person in universe, will have been inflated to legendary status.

We already see that effect on Benjamin Sisco when they travel back in time an encounter Kirk.

So… at what point does the account of an actual person, distorted through time, become taking inspiration from a fictional person?

There are multiple accounts of Talmudic figures being described differently throughout various religious texts, and it doesn’t stop people taking inspiration from them.

55% covers the Abrahamic religions only, all of which take (sometimes literal) inspiration from characters so ancient that claiming accuracy about their words, actions, and intentions are just as debatable as Picard’s, even if their historical existence isn’t.

It’s probably safe to say that accounts of the Buddah aren’t completely accurate either.

Taking inspiration from literature isn’t a rare, shunned thing. If it were, it would eliminate the usefulness of allegory as a teaching tool. And humanity has used that tool in spades.

Great fiction allows a novelist to apply a philosophical framework or at least a philosophical analysis to events that are closely modeled on those found in the real world.

Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Conrad, Voltaire, Stendhal all do this and it’s one of the main sources of their greatness.

Crime and Punishment
War and Peace
Charterhouse of Parma
Under Western Eyes,
Candide.

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I forget which part of the series’ this occurred in?

Not sure we could figure that out… Much like an under sampled signal. We probably can’t figure out when that really began to occur unless we examine every minute of every day revolving around his legacy.?

Ahh I see what you meant. Perhaps yes then 55 percent of the world disagrees and I notice religion does this and its interesting that it has a lot of lessons to offer. It may sound crazy but there are lessons to be learnt here and there.

I agree but also I feel especially as we modernize everything. Our youth is missing out on literature they aren’t being taught through this anymore… I guess if we count social media as fiction which a lot of it is we could extend them learning from the fiction of social media but that really sounds abysmal

Okay well give me some examples of bad fiction? I know it sounds like a dumb question but let’s entertain it

Bad fiction? You need to look for bad fiction? OK…

51vtmFH5CbL

Point definitely made :joy::joy: just to nut wow lmao

Margaret Way sounds like a weird kind of hoe

I wish I could have found you my favorite Harlequin Romance title; “The Prince and the Single Mother”.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Oh wait…

Catharine Jones knows all about smooth talking hunks. Believing in one brought her heartache – but also her precious son, Jamie. Since then, she’s kept to herself, determined that no other man is ever going to use then discard her. Phillip De La Croix isn’t just another hunk. Aside from being a pediatrician, he’s the youngest son of Boisdemer’s reigning king. The moment h…

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Oh but wait…

https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=79182&page=1

:thinking:

From fiction, we can rule out things that are unimaginable. Since by definition, they have been imagined.

I forget which part of the series’ this occurred in?

Voyager. Minor character, didn’t have his own show.

It may sound crazy but there are lessons to be learnt here and there.

Absolutely. I like reading, and even as a non-believer, there’s a lot to take from religious stories. First, they’re simply some of the most influential literature humanity has ever created. They span political and national borders, and they span generations.

I agree but also I feel especially as we modernize everything. Our youth is missing out on literature they aren’t being taught through this anymore.

I know that feeling, but the actual numbers don’t back it up.

Millenials read more than any living generation. Actual book readership is up, library attendence is up (though fewer people support government funding of libraries). Audiobook listenership is up, and retention and processing of audiobooks is nearly as effective as reading for both mental stimulation and retention.