Jean-Luc Picard Quotes (2305-)

“I prefer to look on the future as something which is not written in stone. A lot of things can happen in 25 years.”

“In my experience, communication is a matter of patience, imagination. I would like to believe these are qualities we have in sufficient measure.”

“Part of having feelings is learning to integrate them into your life, Data, ...learning to live with them. No matter what the circumstances ... Sometimes it takes courage to try, Data. Courage can be an emotion too.”

“The Prime Directive is not just a set of rules. It is a philosophy, and a very correct one. History has proven again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilization, no matter how well intentioned that interference may be, the results are invariably disastrous.”

“Lt Cmdr. Data: Sir, I am finding it difficult to understand many aspects of Ansata conduct. Much of their behavior would be defined by my programme as unnecessary and unacceptable. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard: By my programme as well, Data. Lt Cmdr. Data: But if that is so, Captain, why are their methods so often successful? I've been reviewing the history of armed rebellion, and it appears that terrorism is an effective way to promote political change. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard: Yes, it can be. But I have never subscribed to the theory that political power flows from the barrel of a gun. Lt Cmdr. Data: Yet there are numerous examples when it was successful: the independence of the Mexican state from Spain, the Irish Unification of 2024, and the Kenzie Rebellion. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard: Yes, I am aware of them. Lt Cmdr. Data: Then would it be accurate to say that terrorism is acceptable, when all options for peaceful settlement have been foreclosed? Capt. Jean-Luc Picard: Data, these are questions that mankind has been struggling with throughout history. Your confusion is… only Human.”

“Jean-Luc Picard taught me how to speak. I’m pretty sure that I already knew how to say words by the time that I was watching ‘’Star Trek: The Next Generation’’ with my parents, but Patrick Stewart’s captain is how I remember learning that words and communication are noble and important. That you can be strong without imposing yourself physically on others. That making an effort to unite yourself with other people is powerful as well as merely desirable.”

“Jean-Luc Picard! Chief contact with the Q Continuum. Arbiter of succession for the Klingon Empire. Savior of Earth from Borg invasion. Captain of the Enterprises D and E. The man even worked alongside the great Spock.”

“Captain Picard is the hero we need right now. He exemplifies in some ways even more then James Kirk—and I’m not gonna get into the Kirk vs Picard argument because I love Captain Kirk, he was my first captain—but Picard is even more of an exemplar of everything that is best about Star Trek’s vision for the future.”

“When I was in middle school and watching “Star Trek” I imagined we were moving closer toward the show’s version of the future: egalitarian, democratic, creative. Now when I watch the show, I vacillate between hope and escapism. I want to believe that “Star Trek” is predictive of how things will turn out for humanity. I want us to wander the universe in brightly colored uniforms, listening to operas sung by sentient robots. I hope we will find our way to peace. But if that’s not what the future holds, if it’s more war and injustice and greed that we’re headed for, then all I want is to watch Captain Picard hold court on the bridge one more time.”

“'''Seven of Nine: The USS Voyager. She made her name farther out than... any of those other relics had ever gone. I was reborn there. She was my home. Her crew were my family. And now... Jack Crusher: You're just trying to find another. We all long for connection. But we're just a little bit alone, aren't we? Stars in the same galaxy, but light-years between us.”

“Seven of Nine: Oh, you are definitely your father's son. He, too, has a knack for the, um, poetic drive-by observation. Can be very annoying. But it can also make a person feel seen.”

“The new captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, is the wise man. He rules the Enterprise with a sagely wisdom.”

“As shown in his speech and actions, Picard is a man of intelligence, courage, integrity, compassion, courtesy.”

“Patrick Stewart's identification with Jean-Luc Picard is a prime exemplar of the extreme entanglement between actor and character produced by cult television programs, yet in Stewart's case this entanglement has not precluded a very active and successful post-Star Trek career.”