For the uninitiated few, Vulcans are a humanoid species in the fictional Star Trek universe who hail from the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. On early Star Trek original series (TOS) episodes, they were sometimes referred to as “Vulcanians”. They were the first extraterrestrial species encountered by Humans, and later became one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets.

Now the question… What can we learn from this purely fictitious race of aliens?

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Emotional Control

Vulcans, as a matter of custom and policy, suppress all emotional influence by living lives of rigid emotional self-control through meditative techniques and training of mental discipline. Vulcans are not depicted as having no emotions. Although they themselves make this claim, Vulcans are a very emotional people. They developed techniques to suppress their emotions precisely because of the damage they can cause if unchecked.

Human equivalent : Ditto

We do not have to go searching for reasons to get upset. They come to us. Aren’t we the lucky ones?

Controlling emotions can go a long way in making a person’s life better. Learning not to throw a tantrum when you did not get that promotion/raise you so deserved may help you come across as more professional. Instead of wreaking your computer and office furniture, a more diplomatic way of disagreeing with the appraisal board will definitely help you in the long run.

Being diplomatic and aware of your surroundings becomes more important at home. Just remember the golden rule “No swearing when children are around” and you will be just fine.

The video below is a pristine example of anger management and emotional control.

Note: I am not talking about bottling your emotions up air tight and in the process, turning yourself into a walking, talking volcano waiting to spew “emotional” ash on your near and dear. Just find a way to vent it in a safe manner (like taking rifling or Krav Maga lessons)

Mind meld

Spock famously performed a mind meld on a number of occasions to communicate with a creature that did not speak the universal language, or to delve more deeply into another’s subconscious so as to retrieve important information not otherwise accessible. This technique involved placing his fingers at key points on the face (or equivalent thereof) of the being in question. After a moment, his consciousness was merged with the consciousness of the being, thus leading to thoughts and emotions being shared by both. This was first depicted in the TOS episode Dagger of the Mind and then referred to as the Vulcan mind fusion.

Human equivalent : Body Language

Although the human race cannot perform mind melds, we can still pick up unsaid messages from people around us. Some researchers put the level of nonverbal communication as high as 80 percent of all communication. More reasonably it could be at around 50-65 percent. That’s exactly what Mehrabian discovered in his communication study. He found that only 7 percent of communication comes from spoken words, 38 percent is from the tone of the voice, and 55 percent comes from body language. However, Mehrabian was only referring to cases of expressing feelings or attitudes, such as when a person says “I do not have a problem with you!” when people commonly focus on the tone of voice, and body language of the person, rather than the actual words said. It is a common misconception that these percentages apply to all communication.

Learning common Body Language can go a long way in improving how you understand other people and understanding what signals you unintentionally send across.

Check out this (hilarious) instructional video on body language. Do let me know if it helps…

The Way of Truth

It was established in “The Enterprise Incident” that, like all Vulcans, Spock never lies. In “The Doomsday Machine” Spock states that “Vulcans never bluff”. It could be argued that this is typical from someone who is bluffing, but this appears credible, since Vulcans never lie. In “The Menagerie”, however, Spock actually does lie. He tells Captain Kirk about a message sent to them from Star Base 11, ordering them to visit the now-disabled Captain Pike who is living in a special hospital there. They received no such order, as Kirk later discovers when they arrive. He later discusses this with Dr. McCoy, who refuses to acknowledge the possibility of Spock having lied. “…It’s impossible, Jim; Spock is a Vulcan. He is utterly incapable of lying,” McCoy says. “Yes,” Kirk replies. “But he is also half-human. That human part of him is capable of lying.”

Human equivalent : Sincerity

The dictionary defines “sincerity” as “freedom from deceit, hypocrisy, or duplicity; honesty in intention or in communicating; earnestness.” At the heart of sincerity is honesty in all your conduct and communications. Seek sincerity in all your communications by becoming a man who keeps confidences, curbs his sarcasm, and avoids dishonesty.

“It is difficult but not impossible to conduct strictly honest business. What is true is that honesty is incompatible with the amassing of a large fortune.”

                                                                           Mahatma Gandhi

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Striving for these “Vulcan” qualities will help you become a better person. I wish you the best.

As any Vulcan would have put it,

Dup dor a’az Mubster… [Live long and prosper...]