Re: What the negative folks don\'t get (spoilers)
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> Was Zathras dumb? Nope, <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
There you get into the whole "he must be dumb because he talks funny" thing.
Anyone who assumed Zathras was dumb missed his Introduction: He was the Senior Caretaker for the Great Machine. Not a job you'd give to the average dummy off the street.
He was also sent along to help Install the Time shifting machinery on Babylon 4.
Again, Not a job for a dummy.
In fact, both of the jobs we Know Zathras performed are jobs we'd reserve for someone with PhDs in Math, Physics and Engineering.
Conclusion: Zathras was one Smart cookie.
Language not Zathras' talent.
Zathras too busy thinking great thoughts.
Tirk could very well have his own hidden taents.
Or, he could be just what he seems.
A big guy able to carry many heavy things.
Remember what he said his Name means.
Sounded a Lot like a disfunctional family.
Tirk may have left home to get a bit of piece and quiet.
Or, like Vir, he may have been sent away because no one Wanted him.
The Directive Delenn gave the Rangers was to Use and Value Each recruit for what he Can Do, not what a perfect Minbari recruit Might be able to do.
I had personal experience with this once, while I was in the Navy.
The junior guy in our division was rather dumb.
In fact, he'd been accepted in the Navy under an experimental program that waived low test scores to see if On The Job training could substitute for better education.
He knew and accepted that he wasn't the brightest bulb in the pack.
It was kind of ironic that he ended up in a department that generally required the Highest test scores, lots of Math and Electronic school for most of the jobs.
He had one Great Advantage:
He followed instructions. He knew that he didn't Understand what he was doing sometimes, but that was Our problem.
So, we made sure that we always showed or told him Exactly what we needed him to do.
And he did it. He was Totally Reliable on that score.
He also never Complained. He liked his job.
Best worker in the division.
Contrast him with the other guy we had at his level, the one who WAS Smart and had the high test scores.
That clown couldn't be trusted to wipe his nose correctly.
He was the sort who, when he found some white capsules in a box in the armory one day, assumed they were Drugs and swallowed a couple.
He really should have read the label.
They were Tear Gas capsules.
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Do not ascribe your own motivations to others:
At best, it will break your heart.
At worst, it will get you dead."
