Today is a tragic day for Star Trek fans. Today, we’ve had to say our final goodbye to Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy is best known for his role as the half-Vulcan, half-human science officer of the Starship Enterprise, Spock. During his time on the Enterprise, Mr. Spock bestowed countless lessons on both the crew of the Enterprise, and for Star Trek fans. So as we say goodbye to Leonard Nimoy, let’s remember those lessons he taught us as Spock. Nimoy might be gone, but those lessons, the love his fans have for him, and his work on Star Trek will live forever. Here are five great pieces of Spock’s special brand of human/Vulcan wisdom.
“Insufficient facts always invite danger.”
Spock was all about logic, and the logical thing for a person is to stay informed about the world around them. In our society of 24-hour news cycles and crazy internet rumors, it can be really hard to get the actual facts. Spock’s words remind us how important it is to stay informed, to search for the actual truth, and to not settle for insufficient facts. After all, believing something simply because we heard it on the internet is, say it with me, illogical.
“Without followers, evil cannot spread.”
The world can often seem like a pretty dark place, but remembering this bit of wisdom from Spock can help us keep darkness in perspective. Evil can’t spread if no one is spreading it, so if we take each day to make sure that we spread positivity, love, light, and goodness we can help make this world a stronger and better place.
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.”
Spock uttered these words as he sacrificed himself to save his crewmates of the Enterprise in Wrath of Khan. While you and I might not always face the crazy life-or-death situations the crew of the Enterprise faced, Spock’s words can always remind us to put others before ourselves. Paired with remembering that evil cannot spread without followers, focusing on spreading good and putting others before ourselves means we could all make a pretty significant impact on the world.
“Live long and prosper.”
This line is classic Spock, however, wishing that someone live long and prosper is a pretty profound thing. Wishing those around us well, and in turn, doing our best to live a long and happy life is a pretty great way to live. Sure, this line was most often used as a salutation, but Spock really meant it when he said it. After all, Spock had very little emotion in his life due to being half Vulcan. So if he told someone to live long and prosper, he meant it. We can really learn a lot from a guy who regularly and genuinely wished others to have their best life.
“I have and shall always be your friend.”
As he was dying in Wrath of Khan, Spock reminded Kirk of their friendship. Despite his Vulcan roots, Spock made sure to take the time to let Kirk know how much he cared about him and how much he valued their friendship. We never know what tomorrow will bring, and the sudden loss of Leonard Nimoy can teach us that tomorrow isn’t a given. We can take a lesson from Spock’s determination to use his final breaths to tell his best friend how much he loved him, by making sure those we love know how important they are to us.
Leonard Nimoy will be missed terribly. A beloved figure in the geek and sci-fi community, and an all-around nice man, Nimoy brought something very beautiful and special to the world. We have lost a great one today. Mr. Nimoy, we will miss you terribly. You have—and shall always be—our friend.
Written by Kendall Ashley. Follow her on Twitter!