On the other hand, there was that time we spent an entire episode following around a literal Imposter O'Brien.

One thing about Bashir I noticed on rewatch is that he seems to have an unreasonable standards for himself to fix long standing complex medical issues. The Quickening, a meticulously developed disease? Ah, I could knock that out in a week tops. Jem Ha'dar addiction and dependance of their drugs, built into their very genetic code? Sure, three days, I can manage that. It seems an exceedingly brash, arrogant and immature personality traits to think he could overcome such odds so quickly. But reframed knowing he's an enhanced genius? It may not be arrogance (especially considering his success rate) knowing just how talented you are and that you are the best chance your patients will have. No wonder he got annoyed when he couldn't do what was needed in such a short time frame - people were suffering and dying, and he felt he was going to find a cure as his intelligence made such a thing almost an inevitability, so his inability to quickly find a solution to him would be needlessly extending suffering and death.

This overlaps a lot with an observation I made a few years ago. Most of the characters have a character arc about resolving an internal conflict about the cultural values that always aspired to, and find that those values are much less virtuous than they thought. - Kira had dedicated here entire life to safe Bajor by killing the enemies of her people, but now the good of Bajor requires her to make compromises she hates and to fight against those who refuse to accept those compromises. The situation has changed, and now she has to do the things for the good of Bajor, which used to be the evil she fought. - Odo always embraces and is proud of his natural instinct for justice, but then discovers that this instinct of his people is really about order, and that all the others of his species don't use it to pursue justice by tyranny. He loves his people and wants to live with them, but his values don't allow him to participate in their evil. - Bashir wants to be a heroic Starfleet doctor who brings the superior culture and technology of the Federation to foreign natives. But he has to learn that to really help people, he has to help them getting what they want for themselves, not what he would want for them. - Worf always wanted to be a honorable and Klingon warrior who has the respect and admiration of his people. But as he starts getting the notice of the great heroes of the Empire, he finds that they are all hipocrites who talk of horor only for their own selfish purposes. To gain respect and fame, he would have to act against the values of horror he always aspired to as a child. - Garak loves Cardassian culture and wants nothing more than to be a good Cardassian citizen who dedicates his life to serve the state. But then comes to realize that this state is evil and doesn't serve the Cardassian people, but oppresses and dehumanizes them the same way it does anyone else. - Quark is a comedic subversion of that theme. He wants to be a successful and respected Ferengi businessman, but can never take the steps neccessary to do it. And his frustration is not about the Ferengi business ethics being evil, but that he can't overcome his conscience and be as ruthless as he wishes to be. (Which of course is some kind of coping mechanism for the same conflict.) Nog and Rom accept it and go to seek fulfillment elsewhere, and are both much happier for it, but Quark refuses to consider that his endless chase after riches has been a mistake.

Rom's finest hour was EASILY The Bar Association. That was truthfully the first moment where Rom showed that he had the chops to be a leader, even in the face of his very obvious worries which continued to affect him throughout the series. I love that episode.

Genetic engineering may not have been the plan for Julian all along, but I'll be damned if I don't think someone had something like it in the back of their mind for quite a while. It's hard to look at the Mirror Universe episodes with alternate Bashir, and not see an unenhanced Jules. There's none of the cleverness that should have been there if they'd been writing him as the same smart guy, just twisted by that universe. He's slow-witted, quick tempered, and quite unlike even an uneducated Julian would have been.

O'Brien is a different case. He's gotten to where he is because he's tough as a coffin nail. He's the driven family man that gets stronger in the face of adversity. He knows he's no genius and never has been. He only knows he's had to work for everything. I think that changes you in different ways. You start to see your self worth in terms of your capacity to work. O'Brien exhausts himself and takes on the problems of the entire space station so he can be with his family, and Keko also gives up teaching elsewhere to be there with him on the station. I think O'Brien's deal could be that he HAS to work to feel worth something. He might not feel that he has intrinsic value other than the value of his position as father and as Chief Engineer. But he also has a support system in his family. We might not see the impostor syndrome play out on screen with O'Brien because he does have a supportive partner that understands him and he can manage those thoughts and feelings with.

Thinking about the show this way, it's actually fascinating to look at Gul Dukat in the final season. Taking on the appearance of a Bajoran, becoming the leader of the Pah-Wraith cult, and calling himself their emissary, trying to make them commit mass suicide while sparing himself. In every opportunity he is a true imposter, yet he never acknowledges that fact. He lacks the one trait that makes our heroes all deal with not feeling like they belong: humility.

The episode where Bashir is attacked and is inside his mind. It is revealed that Bashir finished second in his class and that he was holding back.

You did a great job exploring how Impostor Syndrome "feels" when it's happening. That sense of dread that you really don't deserve to be where you are or have the position you have, and the sensation that any moment someone is going to walk through the door and fire you or berate you because you're in trouble is overwhelming in the moment. It's ironic that I use a children's poem to combat it. "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." It's from Winnie the Pooh. I open up a new browser window and keep going back to it to repeat it to myself.

You just can't shake O'Brien. He's been through too much, and knows that it always turns out fine in the end.

Another one which comes to mind is Jake’s journey over the course of Nor the Battle to the Strong. It’s more minor, he’s never in doubt about eg his writing abilities, but he doubts his inner strength, his temerity, his ability to stay calm whilst witnessing terrible suffering. (Arguably this growth pays-off when he’s able to hang-around for the Dominion occupation.)

It's interesting in Quark's case in that Ferengi society takes such a big shift at the end of Series 7 that he goes from not fitting in with his people because he's too progressive, to not fitting in because he's too conservative!

Ah yes, Julian's Dad gets a 2 year prison sentence to allow his son to stay in Starfleet, meanwhile the Federation allows a branch of it's medical wing to create giant 12 year olds with telekinetic powers, and immune systems that can kill normal human beings within days

I think the villains of DS9 also showed elements of imposter syndrome. Like I'm pretty sure Damar was often unsure of his ability to be a resistance leader, Kai Wynn of course felt like an imposter because of her lack of connection with the Prophets. Also all those Changelings who had to worry about being uncovered as imposters. 😁

Deep, meaningful Trek discussions with a dash of pro wrestling tangents - part of the reason why I keep coming back 😁

I always thought that the way Amsha's monologue was delivered was intended to show that it wasn't (just) Richard's insecurities that led to Julian undergoing genetic enhancement, but her own and her misplaced guilt, and that Richard had accepted the role of the bad guy all those years to protect his wife and his son's opinions of her.

I always enjoy how Star Trek humanities PTSD from the Eugenics war is stll so freaked out by genetic modification that hundreds of years later they've made it a part of Federation law for humans but when it comes to things like multiversal transporter accidents, mind uploads, and time travel paradoxes, they're like "it happens." DS9 is fantastic.

You. Yes you. You have been taken to where you are by the steps you have made, by the strength you have shown, by the kindness and intelligence and wisdom that you have nurtured within yourself. Look around you and realize that you have fought and earned every single ounce of happiness and peace that you have had to claw out of a callous and uncaring world. Whatever it is that you now have? You deserve it.

I know that Bashir's actor Sid has said that he didn't like genetic engineering angle because he said he thought hey were trying to turn him into another Spock, I thought it was a really interesting and cool idea. Bashir has always been one of my favorite Star Trek characters, and I was really surprised a few years ago when I discovered that there are lot of fans out there who think he's annoying and just genuinely despise him. I really don't get it.

I think O'Brien is in a constant, and forever permanent state of imposter syndrome simply because he isn't the original O'Brien of his current timeline. Remember, he's an alternate-future O'Brien who went back in time a few hours to take another dying O'Brien's place to save DS9.

What a great message, Steve. I have experienced imposter syndrome professionally, and the only antidote has been to be proud of who I am and how I decide to do things.

You forgot about the hero at the start of season 2 Lee Nalis. He had the most imposter syndrome of any character. He was thought of as the hero of the bajoran resistance when he actually shot a cardassian with his pants down.

I have recently seen more and more talking about imposter syndrome. I find it interesting. I’ve struggled with it since moving into leadership roles from military, to government, to corporate. I’ve always believed I was the only person struggling with this phenomenon. I appreciate you talking about this subject, while about characters we love, it is still helpful to me to open my eyes to how many other people struggle with imposter syndrome.

Great video Steve! As someone who is multiply neurodivergent myself (autistic and ADHD), impostor syndrome is something I've struggled with my whole life. I was (and always am really) particularly struck by the Julian Bashir bit though. Lots of times, when people talk about autism, they talk about doing exactly what Julian's parents did to him; 'curing' it somehow to help 'make us better,' but in reality what they're really doing is harmful and often leads to severe mental health issues. The bit where Julian says that Jules died as a child and was replaced by Julien because he wasn't good enough for his parents as he was always hits me hard, as does when Miles tells him he IS enough exactly how he is. It may not have necessarily been written with neurodiversity in mind (it was the 90s and neurodiversity as a concept was only just beginning to emerge among certain groups online) but it works EXTREMELY well as a metaphor for that. One of my all time favourite DS9 episodes! :)

Curzon chose Jadzia as his next host because he thought she was hot, but he didn't want to be "that guy" so instead created years of doubt and insecurity for her. It is at once the most absurd story, and also the most human.

Imposter Syndrome is something I deal with and its...hard. Even being aware of it and knowing its there doesnt really help. Its complicated, like a lot of things. It's not always up front but its there, in the background. Waiting to remind you of those feelings, it's why I can relate to a lot of these characters, I appreciate the breakdown and analysis. Mental Health is so important, awareness matters, and life is infinitely more complicated than people see on the surface, there is more going on underneath. Spreading awareness and understanding of that is always a good thing, helping others who lack it to grow and appreciate other people's lives. Imposter Syndrome can sometimes be debilitating, I'm glad you bring it up in a way for others to try to understand it.

Knowing as we do now about Julian's upbringing, Rivals must have been maddening for him when he was being effected by the bad luck effect.

This one truly spoke to me. Thank you for accepting the commision that made me feel like I was there.

DS9 deals with imposter syndrome (or at least something similar) very literally in the trilogy of episodes surrounding Li Nalas. He was in a Cardassians labor camp. And after returning home he feels like a fraud, because literally he is. But not one of his own making! The myth and legend surrounding him is what allowed his people to beat the Cardassians, even if it was all built on a lie and misunderstanding. And because he knows the truth, Li not only doesn't believe he can unite the planet, he actively tries to run away. Saying basically, "Look, buddy, I've done enough, this legend of mine has done enough, and I'm going." And Sisko I suspect is also talking to himself a little bit when he convinced Li Nalas to stay instead of running.

Oh okay I've heard "you are enough" before but this still made me cry. Like, damn!

Doubts are not imposter syndrome. doubts are natural to the human condition. Everyone in a critical role doubts their abilities to so degree. I certainly did. There is never any closure to this either. You feel it for the rest of your life. But, in knowing you did your best, you held fast to your morals, and you didn't compromise the trust of others: That is more than enough to assure you that you are not an imposter, you are you and you should be proud of what you did.

Oh Steve. You write so well, and this topic is so important, i never knew how much i needed this analysis. You made DS9 an even better show. Obrigado.

That WCW tangent was the funniest thing I've heard all week lmao

“They where pajamas to work” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Imposter Syndrome sounds like such a wonderful problem to have. “Oh no, my life is too good!”

Steve, have you done something to the images in this? They look kind of CGI-ish. There's an image of Kira at 10:19 that looks a bit like princess Leia in that recent Star Wars film

The djara idea is amazingly precise on the idea of class.

This is an exceptionally well done episode, Steve! Thank you!

wow, this was my favorite video of yours in a while, especially how you chose to end it. bravo.

Did you use some kind of AI upscaling or filter on the screenshots? I'm watching the video on a big 4K TV and everything looks so bizarre.

Excellent video Steve; the kind of insight I love to hear from you! Thank you!

I love your surprise dives into my heyday of wrestling and the comedic timing of the lingering pause afterward was fan-fn-tastic.

Hey Steve, really loved this video as it touched on things that tend to bog me down too.

incredible episode! amazing work, and all very very well said. thank you

26:25 A second compelling argument against Bashir’s feeling of being an imposter (though less heartfelt and more manipulative) is actually given by Sloane of all people. He asks Bashir whether any of the countless lives he’s saved would care that he was genetically modified.

remember that one episode of monday night raw when odo drove off with quark's dad's casket, forcing quark to jump on top of said casket in a desperate attempt reclaim his father's dessicated discs?

The look of horror on Odo's face when Dr. Mora tells him that his friends will turn against him is really heartbreaking. We always see Odo as a strong stoic person, but in that moment he was like a scared child pleading "please don't tell mom and dad!"

Fantastic Topic.......I had never considered this approach to analyzing the characters in this way.......perhaps one of the best NATA I've seen in awhile.... Thanks Steve and Thanks Dnotics for the interesting discussion

These videos you have done have changed my outlook on many characters in the series, Garrick, Jellico and others. I have a new point of view when I watch the franchise and I see the character’s differently than I did before. Thank you.

Interesting video, Steve. Great suggestion from the person that commissioned it!

As someone who struggles hard with deeply felt imposter syndrome myself, this video was great

Beautiful piece, Steve.

I really enjoyed this episode, such an interesting topic. This is why DS9 is still the best ST series; the depth of characterisation. George R R Martin is fond of quoting William Faulkner, who said "'The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself', and the crew of DS9 are perfectly suited to that sort of exploration, even if not all of them are technically human.

Cute to brush the Chief off like that, but he has several interesting incidents that could have served as the impetus of a profound IS. Forgive me if I get these out of order, but there's the time he's shifting through time seeing himself die and ultimately was replaced by a him from a doomed future. There's the time where the O'Brien we follow throughout the episode is *literally* an imposter clone that dies (which was a real misstep, cuz I bet the clone O'Brien would have gotten along great with Thomas Riker). And finally there's the truly horrifying episode where O'Brien serves a 20 year prison sentence one afternoon. Afterwards he feels very much an imposter. His skills as an engineer have deteriorated. He has trouble relating to everyone. And he believes he's a murderer. They rush through the process of his rehabilitation in a single episode, but they could have done much more. I, for one, would have liked a Monte Christo style revenge sequel.

Curzon's memories became a part ofJadzia when she recieved the Dax symbiont. Wouldn't she have known from then on why Curzon had had her expelled? Or did Curzon have that memory, and his love for her, supressed before the transfer, only for it to resurface when Curzon's personality was briefly freed and faced Jadzia in Odo's body? That's how I explain it, anyway. Thanks for a great video! As one who battles imposter syndrome myself, I found it very enlightening! 🖖😁

Awesome video. Thank you so much.

DS9 was the most human of all the shows. They always step up when called to do though sometimes they trip when it happens. As my Drill Sergeant told us :If you can't run, walk, if you can't walk, shuffle, if you can't shuffle, crawl, if you can't crawl, drag your ass and finish the mission." That is DS9.

Very well done

As much as people wanted to see Ro Laren appear on DS9, I think it would have been interesting to see Reginald Barclay make an appearance. After watching this video I think he'd fit in just fine among the quirky denizens of DS9.

Excellent episode

A couple years ago, I went through and watched the Nitro episodes and PPV's from Hall's first appearance through the Starrcade '97 Sting vs Hogan match. You are definitely right, they don't hold up. I was in college at the time, so I was young and dumb, but watching it as a grown adult, I wonder how even at that age, I was dumb enough to enjoy that nonsense. LOL! That said, I do still have an nWo workout shirt I wear quite often. Because as bad as watching that run is now, I'm still a nerd. LOL! Anyway, as someone that experiences imposter syndrome quite a bit (typical for someone like myself with ADHD, anxiety, and depression), your look at it through this lens is interesting and something I will be spending time contemplating. Thank you for this entertaining and thought provoking episode.

I'm a certified computer technician. People think i make miracles come true with their computers. Truth is, I have a solid basic understanding of how shit works and Google. So does the rest of my team. We all feel like imposters sometimes, because we have to scour the internet for most of the problems we have to solve. And that's normal in a field that broad. You don't have to reinvent the wheel twice a week, other already did that work for you. Using other people's knowledge is not cheating, it's efficient. As a professor of mathematic once said: "If a problem is already solved, let the dead people do the work for you."

I remember watching WCW and thinking the exact same thing when seeing clips on-line. I think it spoke to a less mature version of myself that died in the early 2000's. Nostalgia can be a hell of a thing.

Bashir doesn't get enough love. He was my favorite character. :)

Love your videos ❤

As a trans person often find myself relating to that episode with Bashir. I sometime think that I'm not good enough to be who I am or that the task I'm doing is impossible because I only look how I do thanks to medical intervention. It's been a struggle for me personally. I also find myself relating to Dax, wanting so badly for people to stop trying to fit me into my past self and accept me for me. I'm my own person and this is who I am.

Man, I remember that week of the Trek Reluctantly where where Dana Cole watches the Deep Space Nine episode of Kira not wanting to forcable relocate that old man. That was quite a week of discourse.

Wonderful. Just....wonderful.

You might even say…fear is the mind killer?

Ok, this one brought a tear to my eye.

Oh neat, I'm so early the video won't even load yet

"Who has time for self reflection when you're being tortured ALL THE TIME?"!

There's an episode where O'Brien mentions he was supposed to go to a music school, but instead enlisted in Starfleet that I think sums up why O'Brien doesn't have imposter syndrome. He knows who he is. And that story shows it; didn't matter that he was good at the cello, he knew that wasn't what he wanted. I want to say it's the episode where Jake tells Sisko he doesn't want to go into Starfleet. On that note, there's an alternative universe O'Brien where he became a cellist whose unhappy because he really wanted to be a starship engineer (though on the bright side, he never accidentally killed a Cardassian after being handed a phaser set to maximum, never had memories of a prison sentence for a crime he didn't commit planted into his brain, never possessed by some energy being and kidnapped his wife, never had his wife possessed by an energy being to blackmail him into killing the Prophets, never had his daughter go into some time anomaly, or overall subjected to horrific stuff because the order "O'Brien must suffer" was passed down by the gods (ie: "Star Trek" writers).

You are you. That has value. People forgot, but like our beloved Trek they will remember.

The monologue Garak says to Ezri was brutal!! So vicious! His worst moment on the show.

This is an analysis that I didn't know I needed. Have had imposter syndrome forever, but I fake it until I make it. That has worked for me. Great job Steve!

I'm really glad Odo and Archer never met/had a disagreement if Odo is like Big Boss Man

Thank you for this! It helps me with my own imposter syndrome to know that my DS9 heroes go through it too!

O'Brian ACTUALLY had a mild bout of imposter syndrome in the DS9 pilot when Picard told him that he had called down to the transporter room and asked for him a few times forgetting he was no longer there and Miles states that "It's just a transporter room."

Oh I guess I have imposter syndrome as well. Didn't even know that was a thing and absolutely assumed this was a video about how any sort of clone of a main character in Trek is always doomed to die lol.

One day the world will realize that I’ve been faking my Imposter Syndrome…

I missed much of DS9s first run and I’ve been rewatching it. ‘Progress’ was such a nuanced episode and the end,… what a perfect, unsatisfying, open-ended conclusion.

I always found it exceedingly dark that Julian considered the younger umaugmented version of himself dead, that his imposter syndrome is so excessive and guilt ridden he considers himself to have taken the life of a child, that he was wearing the face of a dead person like a mask to hide the truth underneath

I think O'Brien did have a kind of imposter syndrome when it came to his military achievements. It started in the TNG episode "The Wounded" and the writers of DS9 use it in the "Empok Nor" episode where Garak taunts him about it while under the influence of a drug. "Maybe it's true. Maybe you're not a soldier anymore." and O'Brien answers back with "You're right. I'm an engineer." He then detonates a MacGyver'd Tricorder/Phaser bomb saving the day and making him the "most important person in Starfleet."

Quick request (although I have a feeling that you're already developing this) could you possibly do a video on the Late Great David Warner who just passed. Not 1 not 2 but 3 great Star Trek Characters (Hell his Chain Of Command character along is worthy of a Video) RIP David

Great video

I find both things past and nesscary evil both interesting as both characters end up finding out dark secrets about their past and both end up on both sides of having to deal with finding out what the other did and their secret coming out.

As a musician I’ll get imposter syndrome when I haven’t practiced and I receive compliments for a performance. I don’t care about mistakes and being sloppy at times because that happens. The audience paid admission and so I feel they are entitled to me well rehearsed. So if I play poorly due not rehearsing enough then I feel like an imposter and don’t deserve compliments from a paying audience. The argument could be made despite the poor performance people enjoyed it regardless so you’re good enough to receive compliments. To me that’s besides the point. The point is not what the audience enjoys but what I expect of myself.

Re: Dr. Bashir's father, I suddenly heard Harvey Keitel's voice telling Captain Sisko, "someone has to go to prison, Ben."

Imposter Syndrome is very prevalent. At U of M, in a programing class, the professor took almost half a class period to talk about it. He explained that even he experienced it, and did his best to convince the class that if you made it into this school, into this class you deserved to be here. No easy thing to deal with for sure.

Wynn’s imposter syndrome, as embodied by Sisko serving as her mimetic rival as the Emissary, is also pretty profound. That mimetic rivalry is ultimately what drives her to the Pah Wraiths-she NEEDS the personal connection that Sisko has with the Prophets in order to feel like she deserves her station, and in seeking to emulate and gain it, she destroys herself, and almost destroys everything.

Great video. Where do you get your Trek merchandise?

miles would have absolutely murdered jules at racquetball

I love all Star Trek and DS9 is number 1.

Sometimes it’s imposter syndrome, sometimes it’s the Peter Principle at work. (Look it up). Imagine if, for all his good work, O’Brien got promoted to station commander. Sure maybe he’d succeed for an episode or two because it’s a television show, but long term he’d hate it, wouldn’t be very good at it, and it would take him away from what he’s best at. (I may be speaking from personal experience here) And then then there’s the episode Whispers, where he literally IS an imposter ;)

O'Brien being the only one not to have had a moment of imposter syndrome, yet literally had an impostor version of himself running around for a full episode in Whispers.

Steve as always love your star trek Videos , But I think you could of mentioned at the very least that Odo feels like an Imposter to his own people and their cause and vice versa

O'Brien never dealt with imposter syndrome but he also spent a whole episode being a literal imposter.

O'Brien doesn't have imposter syndrome? Tell that to the version of him in the episode "Whispers"

Avery Brooks hairline is the biggest imposter thus far. The thing is hiding on the top of his head because it doesn’t feel like a true hairline so it cowers from its job.