Well, I don't think ALL restraint is repression. I mean, if someone does something silly and I want to laugh in their face, but don't in order to spare their feelings, I'm restraining myself, but I'm not necessarily repressing my humor. I don't think that any instance of restraint equals high level repression, but the systematic and automatic restraint of all emotional reaction pretty much does.
Maybe not unique, but it would be expected that his reaction be more aligned with Sarek's wouldn't it?
I don't! When I say that I'm dubious that Spock's fundamental method of trying to control his emotions is not unique, I am not making the argument that his tendency to flip out is also not unique. I think THAT is. I just don't really believe that said tendency results from an inherently different or flawed way of following Surak's teachings than other Vulcans. Though, I could see TOS Spock possibly reacting in a similar way if for no other reason than, as pointed out below, he has on occasion canonically beaten the shit out of dudes in the course of getting himself under control again. Although, as I said in my original post, he is generally presented to us (even before he came over to the AOS) as older, wiser, and more at peace with himself than AOS Spock so it's certainly far less likely in my mind.
I am also not arguing that the way AOS Spock grew up and the entire butterfly affect of the alternate universe didn't change him and the way he reacts to things! I believe they absolutely did. I also don't believe that it is ever one or the other of nurture and nature. I think that the various aspects of the AOS Universe, the possibly altered prejudices and his closer...bond or identification, perhaps, with his mother and even how young he is at this point in the story all affect his reactions just as much as, if not moreso, than whatever biological inclination being half-human would cause towards emotional outburst.
In summary: all I'm really saying is that he clearly has problems controlling his emotions, but I just don't agree that it's because when it comes to the Vulcan way he's just doin' it rong. I think his fundamentals are strong, he just isn't as disciplined or successful at it as he could be for various reasons having to do with both his specific background and perhaps his biology!
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Re: it would be awesome to actually complete my thought!
Date: 2009-05-30 11:33 pm (UTC)Maybe not unique, but it would be expected that his reaction be more aligned with Sarek's wouldn't it?
I don't! When I say that I'm dubious that Spock's fundamental method of trying to control his emotions is not unique, I am not making the argument that his tendency to flip out is also not unique. I think THAT is. I just don't really believe that said tendency results from an inherently different or flawed way of following Surak's teachings than other Vulcans. Though, I could see TOS Spock possibly reacting in a similar way if for no other reason than, as pointed out below, he has on occasion canonically beaten the shit out of dudes in the course of getting himself under control again. Although, as I said in my original post, he is generally presented to us (even before he came over to the AOS) as older, wiser, and more at peace with himself than AOS Spock so it's certainly far less likely in my mind.
I am also not arguing that the way AOS Spock grew up and the entire butterfly affect of the alternate universe didn't change him and the way he reacts to things! I believe they absolutely did. I also don't believe that it is ever one or the other of nurture and nature. I think that the various aspects of the AOS Universe, the possibly altered prejudices and his closer...bond or identification, perhaps, with his mother and even how young he is at this point in the story all affect his reactions just as much as, if not moreso, than whatever biological inclination being half-human would cause towards emotional outburst.
In summary: all I'm really saying is that he clearly has problems controlling his emotions, but I just don't agree that it's because when it comes to the Vulcan way he's just doin' it rong. I think his fundamentals are strong, he just isn't as disciplined or successful at it as he could be for various reasons having to do with both his specific background and perhaps his biology!