The Perfect Mate (would you choose this?)

[Endgame]

It is one thing to be seduced and manipulated perhaps even with consent whatever that might mean in that context. Then it is another thing to have a relationship where one is more than persuaded but rather conditioned or manipulated to fulfill another person's wishes (to neglect of one's own more or less) and then it is a third thing to be conditioned to enjoy this. It is like rape with Stockholm syndrome - worse than rape.

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

Well, if we're going to go to other worlds, and not judge their cultures based on our standards of normalcy, then this scenario is just one of many that may be found.

That's just something to be prepared for...

Which brings around yet again the vaguaries (sp.) of 'non-interference'...

 

[Tora Ziyal]

...It is like rape with Stockholm syndrome - worse than rape.

All rapes come with complications. If not Stockholm syndrome, then physical injuries, or betrayal by someone the victim had trusted, or home invasion by a stranger, or sexually-transmitted illness, or some combination of the above. Or other possibilities I haven't listed. Trying to rank one variation as automatically worse than another is ridiculous.

 

[Keith1701]

There is, IMHO, no such thing as a "perfect" mate.

True, but she was near Perfect for me.

 

[OkLewis]

The funny thing is, you don't really need the imprinting alien. We've got the holodeck remember? You can test out living with a new spouse every day. And with that mobile thing the doctor had from Voyager, no one would know it's a hologram. Plus if you're thinking about dating a real person, you can have the computer whip up a hologram based on their records, and test-run the dating process with only like 10% margin of error. Just don't let them walk in on you, otherwise they might be OUTRAGED! by this.

"Computer, analyze my personality and create the perfect spouse ...that is capable of defeating Data."

They would know its a hologram, some issue is bound to pop up.

 

[Salinga]

BTW this "perfect mate" concept is something that drives child abusers: They use the undeveloped (or under developed) sexuality of a child to imprint it to their sexual needs. A person who was sexually abused as a child has often troubles later in life to differenciate between their personal needs and the needs of the abuser during their childhood because they "learned" as a child to "morph" their personal sexual needs according to the needs of their abuser. One of the core reasons why child abuse is such a horrible crime: It "deforms" the sexuality of a human beeing.

To come back to the core of this topic: Because of this I never would want to have a relationship with a woman/species who adopts my personal needs and desires, because I would consider it to be abusive of a child-like beeing. It would be my responsebility to have her develop her own needs and interests, allow her to become her own strong character. Anything else is not ethical.

 

[Armored Saint]

Talking about consent. If somebody were able to design the "perfect mate" that/who could seduce me and then train me to fulfill all her wishes and be happy doing them, would that be something worse than rape?

It's an usual moral problem with genetic engineering/design. It's like having manifactured super-soldiers who are created to sacrifice themselves without being able to make that choice. In Blade Runner, you have the male replicants who're made to perform dangerous jobs and also the girl who's designed to be a prostitute for soldiers. They're created to be slaves doing dirty or dangerous works.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I really enjoyed this episode, I watched it for the first time today. It got me to thinking. If you had an opportunity to have a woman groomed especially for you, who would morph into your perfect mate, would you take it?

Women either capable of being everything you desire in mind & body--or is constructed to be a perfect mate seems like a doomed pursuit. Just ask TOS' Robert Crater and Flint about that.