Tags for this video have been changed from 'data, riker, yng, death, the bonding, know' to 'data, riker, tng, death, the bonding, know' - edited by Fusionaut

Great writing.

This isn't Star Trek!!! Where the hell are the lens flares and sword-fights in the sky!

I see the way it is. When an officer is killed, it's all dramatic and everyone's bummed out, but when the red shirted enlisted men are devoured by the dozen by a giant slavering space cloud, it's just an inconvenience.

On behalf of all the red shirts that fell before me,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktg5fwhXWc0

To actually take the point at face value, it's an evolved response.

Let's say there was a group of early humans who felt intense grief at every death. They would be constantly grieving and never getting on with life, never doing anything productive with our lives, because someone, somewhere is always dying. Eventually, the more pragmatic humans who be more successful.

Equally, if there was a group that didn't feel a greater loss at the death of someone close to them, they would be less inclined to protect their tribe, and less inclined to co-operate. Again, the people that stick together would be more successful.

That's my theory anyway.