The lessons in life I learned from Babylon 5

[Eric T. Schuetz]

Growing up, there were a few shows that I thoroughly enjoyed for entertainment purposes. He-Man, Transformers, Knight Rider, Star Trek The Next Generation, and so many more. However, one show I remember vividly from the Mid-90s has had the most profound impact on my concepts of philosophy, evolution, military, politics, exploration, ideology, personal struggle and growth, and faith. That show, amusingly, was Babylon 5.

Some people find lessons in life in so many places. Books, Music, Movies, History, Religion, Service, Science, and so many more. However, why a fictional show set in the 23rd Century would have so much of an impact on me? Was it a love of storytelling found in Science Fiction? Yes. Was it the way that story was conveyed? Indeed. Was it the material within the story? Without a doubt.

For anyone that hasn’t ever heard of, or simply never watched, this show, do so. You can find it online freely at AOL Video, Hulu and other websites. It lasted 5 seasons dealing with war, religion, ideology, perseverance, intrigue, deception, love, hate, and so many other emotions, both simple and complex.

The story arc unraveled before the viewer every week for 5 seasons leading up to it’s conclusion, that left more room for more stories.

But why such an impact? Throughout the series, there were lines delivered that meant so much. In the season finale of season 4, there are a few lines that ring out so well. “You do not wish to know, but to just speak. That which you know , you ignore it because it is inconvenient. That which you do not know, you invent.”, “Faith and Reason are the shoes on your feet. You can travel further with both, than with just one.”, and “Faith is to surrender ourselves to the possibility of hope.”

Considering my own beliefs and ideologies, the last two quotations may seem out of place. However, everyone puts faith in something at some time. However, to remove reason from that faith is to simply walk into something blindly, aka “Blind Faith”. You can not have true faith without reason. As you can not have reason without some level of faith. The first quote, however, is very prominent in this world. Everyone wants to “know”, yet no one takes the time to truly understand. When they do not know, or understand, they invent something to fill that void. They do so with ignorance, self importance, and arrogance. Upon doing so, they stand atop their soap boxes and declare to the world that they “know”. When in fact they know nothing but lies and contempt. Those that truly know do not stand high and declare it to the world. They quietly share it with those with honest curiosity and interest.

It is concepts like those found in those three simple quotations that helped shape me into the person I am today.