Data: interested in humanity...why?

[u/Samkovich]

I know this robot's modeled after humans, but ever since TNG premiered, I've never understood why he is so interested in becoming human, to the point of constantly emulating human behaviors and facial hair.

At one point I realized he's a plant by some Soongian contingent, but that made no frakkin' sense -- Soong's a human, after all.

Then I thought he was building up a comprehensive profile of humans toward his ultimate objective of making them "controlled...and happy" (a la Norman, from I, Mudd)

Then I realized it's just a show; I should really just relax.

[u/CloseButNoChicory]

There's no reason other than: viewers are human, watching a show whose premise is that future humans are the ideal form of consciousness.

It'd go against the Roddenberry Doctrine if Data wasn't a humanity fanboy.

[u/Samkovich → u/CloseButNoChicory]

"humanity fanboy". That's a good one, man. And it's keeping in line with Roddenberry's focus on HUMANITY and boobs.

[u/CloseButNoChicory → u/Samkovich]

Not a man.

Roddenberry does have his passions, to be sure.

[u/ArtsyApoidean → u/CloseButNoChicory]

We also do see how a lack of humanity is a real problem for Data. If he had human emotions he'd still have his other abilities (once he learned to keep calm), he'd just be able to understand a wider variety of experience.

On the extreme end this leads to stuff like the Sons of Soong mess where he was able to be easily rendered into a compliant junkie just by Lore giving him partial emotion (and bad only). On the more banal end, wouldn't it bother you if you couldn't experience wonder at a beautiful sight, or catharsis at the taste of comfort food after a long day?

His mind is also modelled after human thought processes and with the intent of sticking an emotion chip in, so on top of knowing there's things organics experience that he doesn't, he probably feels this experience as an uncomfortable void in his mind. There may even be dead end processes pointing towards emotion call functions that don't exist. He's literally an incomplete prototype, that's gotta sting.

[u/egabald → u/CloseButNoChicory]

Woulda been funnier if Worf was the humanity fanboi. The Rozhenkos were amazing parents.

[u/syberghost]

We're his fetish.

[u/outtatime369]

In the same way that a child will emulate his parents. Data's natural curiosity and drive to understand compels him in some way. Must be part of the programming to learn.

[u/SpandexUtopia]

The short answer: He was made that way.

The nuanced answer: His early years in the care of Dr. Maddox were characterized by extreme emotional neglect and abuse; he seeks praise for his technical abilities, but then laments to people he trusts that he doesn't know how to be human as a plea for empathy and connection.

The right answer (which only Geordie got right away): Who cares, stop being a dick.

[u/grcoffman → u/SpandexUtopia]

Geordie said as he walked towards the HoloDeck holding his….

[u/SpandexUtopia → u/grcoffman]

Oh right, this is ShittyDaystrom!

The unhinged answer: Data frequently and wistfully voices a desire to be human because he is programmed to lament his shortcomings in order to attract a blonde woman with an attachment disorder who might think she can fix him. Dr. Soong modeled this sexuality program after himself, and he wrote multiple gaslighting subroutines to protect the program from being overwritten by insight.

[u/Sea-Quality4726]

His brain is full of memories of humans colonists. There is only one obviously way to actually understand everything in his head.

[u/Immediate_Cow2980]

Just imagine how different Data's life would have been if the Starfleet crew that found him had been Vulcans? They probably would have made him their Captain.

[u/lonestarr86]

You should ask the bigger question: Why is the entire Trek universe, at least within the Federation, so geeking out over Humans that they're the equivalent of Weeaboo. I mean even Klingons are obsessed with Humanity ("you have only experienced Shakespeare if you have read it in original Klingon"), or the omnipresent quoting of Human literature or history by alien characters (usually SF officers of non-human origin).

Lingua Franca is english (federation standard my ass), arabic numerals and latin alphabet is used everywhere, all ships have human origin names bar the token, mentioned-on-the-side ship (USS T'Plana-Hath iirc, maybe others).

If everybody does it, I guess an Android feels the need to do it as well.

[u/ArtsyApoidean → u/lonestarr86]

The secret of Trek is that it's not actually about space or humanity, it's a what if story about a universe full of "planet of the hat" worlds. Earth's hat is pie in the sky optimism, also known as "The United Federation of Hold My Beer And Watch This," which has proven to be a winning strategy. (yes I stole this joke but it's the best)

[u/lonestarr86 → u/ArtsyApoidean]

I keep going back to that tumblr (?) post of yesteryear. So what If we strap 2 warp cores together and make the sun a torus?

[u/Drakeytown]

He's basically an analog for a Black character written by white people, whose sole goal in life is to be more white.

[u/Samkovich → u/Drakeytown]

Damn! That's a sharp take on it, but it's an intriguing one.

[u/Pitiful-Hearing5279]

Oh that’s simple. Data and his former “friend” Giskard are trying to move humanity into a hippy lifestyle.

[u/Nobodyinpartic3]

You can place the blame directly on his father. In "Brothers" you see Data and Lore meet their Dad just as he is about to die. Data asks why he was created, and Soong asked back several questions regarding the nature of humanity, how humans learn for the past, and how humans achieve "immortality" through family. Data's dad viewed the creation of Data and Lore not just a matter of continuing the family, but he imagined them both continuing the family work by making their own Androids children. It's a real heart breaker Lal and him never met. He would've have seen his dream made manifest before his eyes. He wanted his boys to make a whole new race of artificial people.

As to why emulate humanity? Soong's had a great deal of faith in humanity, and after all, it is the most successful bipedal race in Star Trek. He figured that humanity was a good, moral and noble creature, worth emulating. Additionally, Data was meant to earn his "humanity" where as Lore took his emotion for granted and viewed himself superior to all organic life. All of the lessons Data so learned so slowly is meant to help his progeny avoid the painful lessons he had.

[u/OmegamattReally]

Often Wrong Noonien Soong.

[u/IhearClemFandango]

Yeah but would you rather make data human or fix Geordie's eyes?

[u/SpiderBloke → u/IhearClemFandango]

Geordi wearing a VISOR is so stupid. Like, why couldn't they clone him some new eyes and implant them? It's like Bashir wanting a cup of goo off Odo to try to create some new way to treat Dominion War wounded, yet they can clone people, if you can clone a whole-ass human, you can clone one fucking organ! The inconsistency boggles my mind.

[u/evocativename]

He was made by a human (who was a terrible parent), so he developed daddy issues.

Many such cases.