From: ccmk@lure.latrobe.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Kobyashi and Kirk
Date: 17 Apr 92 04:35:40 GMT
 <1992Apr16.054818.22374@menudo.uh.edu> <1992Apr17.015001.25227@news.eng.convex.com>
Organization: VAX Cluster, Computer Centre, La Trobe University

In article <1992Apr17.015001.25227@news.eng.convex.com>, jgardner@convex.com (John B. Gardner) writes:
> In article <1992Apr16.054818.22374@menudo.uh.edu> edc@evolution.bchs.uh.edu (edward s. chen) writes:
>>
>>Kirk cheated.  Period.  Possibly the first in a long string of "Kirk destroys
>>computer" stories. :-)  But he never learned the lesson the simulation was
>>supposed to teach!
>>
> 
> I believe Kirk is the only one who *did* learn the lesson!
> 
> Failing, and winding up dead in the process, is a no-win.  Isn't the
> simulation teaching "don't give up!", no matter what?  If Kirk had laid
> down, accepted failure, would that have made him a "better" Captain?
> Hell no.  The simulation both gave the lesson and proved in the process
> that Kirk will not and *should* not, accept defeat.
> 
> Think of all the subsequent prediciments in which Kirk's "never die"
> attitude saved lives.  Teaching someone that failure is acceptable is
> ludicrous.  Kirk was the first to "pass" the simulation.

I have to agree with this.  What is the point of the Kobayashi Maru
simulation?  Certainly not to teach that you may be blown
up - that would be pointless.  It is a test of character: to see what
the student does in a completely hopeless situation.  Saavik presumably
did commendably - she didn't panic and run around tearing her clothes
off (worse luck).  Kirk received a commendation, because he crashed
through the problem in a unique way - again it is testing character
under extreme pressure.  Now, the "Kirk as adolescent" people would
have the test as a lesson of sometimes there are no-win situations
in which you die, which is a ridiculous test if you think about it.
What lesson could you possibly learn and/or implement in your
day-to-day life?  The test cannot possibly prepare you for personal
loss of family and friends.  The mere fact you may one day fail
is both known and ignored by us all, otherwise we would live moment
to moment in constant fear of failure, or worse.

Kirk had never faced great personal loss - which was no
reflection of the KM test - merely that he never had to face losing
someone so close to him.  His "death is as important as life" words
were not a reflection of "error" over the meaning of the KM test,
merely he never had to live through the pain of personal loss.  To
him they were just words, until Spock died.  His "cheating death"
lifestyle enabled him to avoid, until the fateful moment, some
of the hard pains of life.

To be a bit serious (but not too maudlin, I hope): I have not had anyone
close to me die.  Ever.  And I'm 33!.  Anything I say to comfort
someone who has gone through this can only be from the head, not
the heart (I mean I would be sincere, but I cannot empathize).  I
don't see how in any way the KM test can possibly prepare you
for not only personal loss, but even give you a greater understanding
that it can happen, since Kirk et al. have seen much death and destruction.

Remember, even in TWOK the no-win situation was solved, this time
by Spock.  It seems he didn't believe in the no-win scenario either,
because he reasoned the "needs of the many outweigh the needs of
the few, or one" and acted accordingly.

Mark Kosten
(ccmk@latrobe.edu.au)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current