Synopsis: Participating in an officer exchange program First Officer Riker serves aboard a Klingon vessel while Benzite Ensign Mendon serves aboard the Enterprise.
The officer exchange program that is central to the plot of “A Matter of Honor” illustrates a couple different ways to handle being confronted by a disruptive problem. In the episode, the disruptive problem is a lifeform that is capable of eating through the hull of a space vessel. When Ensign Mendon does not tell Captain Jean-Luc Picard when he finds it initially, the problem grows bigger. On the Klingon vessel, her captain believes that it is a weapon that has been deployed and holds Commander William Riker responsible until Riker is able to incorporate Klingon customs to react to the disruption. This mirrors how in one’s psyche, the conscious rational ego can react to the disruption caused by being confronted by an aspect of material from one’s unconscious by either acknowledging it and incorporating it into one’s psyche, or what happens when the disruption is repressed or ignored only to become a bigger disruption later on.
On the Enterprise, Mendon serving on the vessel through this program initially seems eager to please, and most especially, bring his knowledge to the ship in order to improve how it functions. Not necessarily a thing that the command structure is expecting from a junior officer. This mismatch of intents is heightened because Picard and the rest of the crew do not know that his way of doing things is to identify a problem and then not mention it to his superior officers until he has already found a solution to the issue. And while this may not be Starfleet procedure, it is not an uncommon way of doing things in our culture. In fact, it is taught to us as a way of presenting bad news – but with a positive spin. However, trying to rein in the unconscious is not something that can be done.
Riker on the Klingon vessel Pagh fairs somewhat better, before boarding the ship he studied the ways of the Klingons, and vowed to be governed by their rules, unless they conflicted with the oath that he already gave to Starfleet. This is a more mature way of handling the situation, as is reflected in Riker’s higher rank. This also reflects a more adaptive response to unconscious material, which is disruptive to the conscious ego. Because Riker has acknowledged the differences of the Klingon ways and how to incorporate his pledge of loyalty to them as well as his oath as a Starfleet Officer, he is therefore able to unite forces to deal with the disruptive hull-eating alien lifeform. This is also what happens when the conscious ego acknowledges and integrates a bit of unconscious matter into itself, therefore making the psyche just that much more whole.
Original post created 29 June 2021
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