Daniel Jackson Discussion and Appreciation

[Daniel's shadow]

Like I said Ethon really demonstrated his leadership skills.

No flapping about and yapping around and those who saw the episode will know what I mean.

Daniel saw the situation and took charge to stop a volatile situation. In fact to me he was a brilliant tactician and strategist and more than often outshined the two colonels (Sam and Cameron) despite their military training. I guess that's what thinking outside the box will bring.

No indecisiveness but clear minded resolve to do what is right for everybody.

Ultimately it is Daniel's leadership that got people back to the SGC safely.

[1DanielForMe]

Well, Daniel's never one to be wishy washy when it comes to doing the right thing.

[Captain-Peregrine]

Okay, so I take back everything that I was thinking about Daniel. After seeing Ethon I realize that I was just being impatient. ... should have known better. Where's the trust? lol

[1DanielForMe]

Indeed, I just wish his most recent display of "Daniel-ness" could have been less painful for me.

[SueS]

I felt that in last nights episode, Ethon, I saw some old style Daniel coming through...Daniel the mediator, the one who tries so valiently to make a difference on another world...

I was thinking about these skills of Daniel and wondering just where did these come from. As far as we know, Daniel has degrees in archeology, anthropology and linguistics. None of these really have much to do with conflict resolution (i.e. mediation) or a desire to make a difference in the world. The linguistics and the fact that he can speak over 25 languages allows him to be an interpreter, but an interpreter is not a negotiator. His degree in anthropology gives him an understanding of different cultures, but again this wouldn't necessarily mean he'd be able to resolve a conflict between two opposing cultures.

I suspect there are anthropologists and/or linguist on other teams who aren't called upon to mediate, but Daniel is. And rightly so, because he is a gifted mediator. But where did this gift come from? Is there anything in canon that suggests he has a degree or studied conflict resolution or some other related field, or is this just something he innately knows?

Also, his desire to make a difference in the world, to help people, is very evident. First of all, where do you think it comes from? Also, people with that kind of passion usually go into fields like medicine or psychology or counseling. Why do you think Daniel chose to major in archeology/anthropology where you remain an outside observer?


Just some food for thought.

[Captain-Peregrine]

I suspect there are anthropologists and/or linguist on other teams who aren't called upon to mediate, but Daniel is. And rightly so, because he is a gifted mediator. But where did this gift come from? Is there anything in canon that suggests he has a degree or studied conflict resolution or some other related field, or is this just something he innately knows?

I think that his desire to help and mediate is something that Daniel just innately posseses. But also it might have developed from his being in foster care for so long. Perhaps through all the passing around and in dealing with new situations he also had to deal with all sorts of new people and the only way you are really going to survive is if you make friends. And so Daniel, at a young age, probably developed this sense of diplomacy in order to try and make himself and those around him as comfortable as possible in an otherwise very uncomfortable situation.

Why do you think Daniel chose to major in archeology/anthropology where you remain an outside observer?

I think that has a lot to do with his parents. They both had a lot to do with archeology and anthropology and so maybe Daniel chose those fields in order to be closer to their memory. Also I think it all links back to the foster care thing. Yes, he may have developed a sense of diplomacy in order to keep himself safe, but I think he may have also developed a sense of self-preservation in staying outside of things. When you are outside of something, it is harder to get hurt by those inside. I think it's just Daniel's innate goodness that keeps bringing him back in.

Just some food for thought.

That's some good eating.

[Dani347]

Well, I'm sure they aren't totally accurate on the details. I mean, it seems that Daniel is just supposed to have a natural affinity for negotiating, rather than any formal training. I suppose that's possible. I mean, I'm guessing you would have to have that in the first place. But, probably in real life, you would also have to have training to go with the natural feel for it.

As far as his desire to help people I don't know that it necessarily has to come from somewhere. It could just be a trait that he was born with. If you want to go with the school of thought that said he had a rough childhood after his parents died, it could be that he has some knowledge of a rough life. It might also explain why he didn't choose a job like a counselor (and, maybe he just doesn't have the skills to be a doctor) or psychologist, because then he'd be immersed in other people's problems regularly. I mean, the fact that he does get so caught up might mean he needs to be able to pull back sometimes. Or, he could just be someone who helps when he can, but didn't choose a career on the basis of that.

Or, maybe he discovered his need to help people after he went through the Stargate and had to be a part of an uprising. He didn't have the archeological umbrella to stand under. He was a part of things. Not studying them.

But, I think he chose his professions mainly because of his interests. Not only does he have a desire to help, he also has a desire to understand. And, of course, there's the parental connection. It could be that he just wanted to carry on his parent's work, and found that he also took to it for himself. He could just have liked those courses in college, and thought that he would enjoy doing them on a regular basis as a career.

eta: Figures I'd run my mouth (fingers?) off, and someone else would say what I meant in a much more concise and less rambling manner.

[Traveler Enroute1]

I was thinking about these skills of Daniel and wondering just where did these come from. As far as we know, Daniel has degrees in archeology, anthropology and linguistics. None of these really have much to do with conflict resolution (i.e. mediation) or a desire to make a difference in the world. The linguistics and the fact that he can speak over 25 languages allows him to be an interpreter, but an interpreter is not a negotiator. His degree in anthropology gives him an understanding of different cultures, but again this wouldn't necessarily mean he'd be able to resolve a conflict between two opposing cultures.

I suspect there are anthropologists and/or linguist on other teams who aren't called upon to mediate, but Daniel is. And rightly so, because he is a gifted mediator. But where did this gift come from? Is there anything in canon that suggests he has a degree or studied conflict resolution or some other related field, or is this just something he innately knows?

Also, his desire to make a difference in the world, to help people, is very evident. First of all, where do you think it comes from? Also, people with that kind of passion usually go into fields like medicine or psychology or counseling. Why do you think Daniel chose to major in archeology/anthropology where you remain an outside observer?
Just some food for thought.

Interesting. Canon on this says Daniel Jackson “has a unique way of looking at the world” and that he is “often a moralist” (The GW Stargate Omnipedia). There may be other sources on this, though.

IMO, Daniel's talent for languages combined with his knowledge of archeology gave him a broad canvas of what the two fields mean to any society. He's studied civilizations that rose and fell, sometimes on the strength and weakness of words and misunderstandings of language. Because of his work with the Stargate it would be impossible to remain the outside observer he once was because all that ancient history is actually alive and has clues to saving earth in the present.

As for his desire to help, I look to his relationship with Sha’Re. If ever a talent for languages and civilization could help save lives, he went right to his calling. His life changed when he went to Abydos and met and married Sha’Re, and had her torn from him. Searching for her, Daniel encountered the closest thing to pure evil in the Goa’uld, and couldn’t ignore the plight of others so similar to his wife. Plus he had the advantage of being with dedicated soldiers like Jack O’Neill, Kawalski and his team, Samantha Carter and Teal’c when it comes to helping. I don’t think it came easy for Daniel to put his life on the line but it was obviously in him. My 2 coins on this, hope it makes sense. (Not a pun!!)

And if anyone knows of an episode where Daniel was tortured please let me know. I’ve only come up with “Fire and Water,” and he

Spoiler:

volunteered to undergo Nem’s painful memory extraction.

. Need the reference for a fanfic, not ‘cause I’m whump-obsessed! Although…just kidding.

Just sayin’, cool discussion.

[Margaret]

And if anyone knows of an episode where Daniel was tortured please let me know. I’ve only come up with “Fire and Water,” and he

Spoiler:

volunteered to undergo Nem’s painful memory extraction.

. Need the reference for a fanfic, not ‘cause I’m whump-obsessed! Although…just kidding.

That would be in Evolution. And a little bit in

Spoiler:

Prometheus Unbound

.

[Margaret]

Anthropology would certainly be a good discipline for studying conflict resolution. And linguists know something about how framing an issue affects people's perceptions. (Think for instance of the use of the word 'we' to signal either inclusion or exclusion.)

However, I don't think Daniel majored in either of these subdisciplines. I think his specialty is reading ancient texts. I think his ability to mediate comes from his ability to see other people's point of view sympathetically. And his desire to find a solution that will work well for everyone.

Basically, it's a brilliant mind coupled with a kind heart.

* * * * * * * * * *

I just loved Daniel in Ethon! ::happy sigh::

[Madeleine]

That would be in Evolution. And a little bit in

Spoiler:

Prometheus Unbound

.

Was there any in The Devil You Know? or New Ground? Or was that just the others?

[Madeleine]

Also, his desire to make a difference in the world, to help people, is very evident. First of all, where do you think it comes from? Also, people with that kind of passion usually go into fields like medicine or psychology or counseling. Why do you think Daniel chose to major in archeology/anthropology where you remain an outside observer?

Good question. Here's my take on it.

I don't think pre-movie Daniel ever had a desire to make a difference in the world in the ethical or humanitarian sense, although he did seem to have a yearning to open the world's eyes to what he could see. (And he's always been fiercely moral in his Danielish way.)

I think it's his experiences on SG-1 that transmogrified his desire to inform the world into a desire to make a difference. He couldn't share his discoveries with his academic peers, and for the first time he was seeing that these discoveries went beyond academic success/faliure and the content of school textbooks to the actual survival or death of the planet, and he felt responsible (in the sense of it being caused by him) as the opener of the gate; and responsible (in the sense of it being his job to fix it) as a part of the SGC.

I don't think Daniel would have gone into counselling or medicine or anything like that. He's an obsessive type raised by practical archaeologists, and ancient history got its hook into him before anything else had a chance to. As his interactions with Sarah and Stephen showed, his interpersonal skills as a young man were less than they could have been. This may be a side-effect of fostering, or perhaps he just needed people like the Abydonians and the SGC crowd around him - living their lives pretty close-knit - to give him a chance to develop real relationships.

As for choosing a field where he is an outside observer, that may have been part of the attraction, especially when he was an orphaned youngster. Forgetting himself and immersing himself in stories of long ago would have had an appeal.

But anyway, he has always wanted to make a difference. It's just that as he has grown up and seen the things he's seen he's radically altered his idea of what sort of difference he needs to make, and of what he can do, what he [feels he] should be able to do and what he wants to do.

[Sprinkles]

Was there any in The Devil You Know? or New Ground? Or was that just the others?

The devil you know - he did get punched in the face when he provoked the big Jaffa and there was the same physiological torture they all received by being forced to drink the blood of Sokar and hallucinate

New Ground - although it isn't shown on screen I always thought they tortured him after they dragged him out to the DHD and demanded he tell them what it was, he looked very 'whipped' when they returned him to the cage and Sam asked if he was ok.

[SueS]

Good question. Here's my take on it.

I don't think pre-movie Daniel ever had a desire to make a difference in the world in the ethical or humanitarian sense, although he did seem to have a yearning to open the world's eyes to what he could see. (And he's always been fiercely moral in his Danielish way.)

I think it's his experiences on SG-1 that transmogrified his desire to inform the world into a desire to make a difference.

That's an interesting observation. I think it's also possible that he developed is counceling or mediation skills while on Abydos. In COTG, Daniel tells Jack, rather hesitantly, that the Abydonians treated him like a saviour after he and the others left. Daniel undoubtedly quickly dispelled that myth, but I would suspect that the people of Abydos looked to Daniel as a wise and knowledgeable man. Someone who they could go to with their problems. He could've also learned something about conflict resolution from the way the Abydonians dealt with conflict.

Even though Daniel has never had any formal training in conflict resolution, it seems to have become a very important part of who he is.


SueS

[Dani347]

That's an interesting observation. I think it's also possible that he developed is counceling or mediation skills while on Abydos. In COTG, Daniel tells Jack, rather hesitantly, that the Abydonians treated him like a saviour after he and the others left. Daniel undoubtedly quickly dispelled that myth, but I would suspect that the people of Abydos looked to Daniel as a wise and knowledgeable man. Someone who they could go to with their problems. He could've also learned something about conflict resolution from the way the Abydonians dealt with conflict.



SueS

I like that take on it. He might have thought of them as teachers while teaching them at the same time. He would have had to have gotten personally involved, instead of looking at things strictly from an academic standpoint. Especially if he was going to really live among them and not be treated like a savior. And, maybe Sha're helped, too. Perhaps her attitude of not making him out to be more than he was made her give him a figurative kick in the pants if he ever got too detached.