Reflecting

[dracowayfarer]

"That Picard never had a brush with death, never came face to face with his own mortality, never realized how fragile life is or how important each moment must be, so his life never came into focus. He drifted through much of his career, with no plan or agenda, going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves. ... He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever got noticed by anyone."

-- Q, Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Tapestry"