Spock vs. Data: Who is the true autistic icon of Star Trek?

Hello All!

The title of this post might seem a bit silly. Honestly, I've been dealing with a lot of stress and fatigue lately and I've had this idea for several months so I decided to go for a light hearted post today. However, I do think this is an interesting conversation, especially for an autistic Trekkie like myself. Over the last year or so Star Trek has become a huge special interest and comfort show for me, having been introduced to it during a very difficult time by some very special and important people.

Spock has been adopted by many as an autistic icon for some time now. His literal thinking, difficulties with interaction and rigid behaviours are relatable for many on the spectrum. This has been undoubtedly strengthened by the questionable and unspoken portrayal of Dr Sheldon Cooper as autistic in The Big Bang Theory. For Sheldon Spock is not only a relatable character but a hero and role model. It is clear that Sheldon wants to be more like Spock than he already is, in my opinion so that when he faces similar difficulties he can be more emotionally detached. Even though Sheldon isn't shown to be as empathic as we would like he does have moments where we can clearly see him become emotionally overwhelmed by his social difficulties and OCD like tendencies, for example when he runs away to the train station because everything is changing, something he feels he might not face if he was a Vulcan.

And that one of the core aspects of Spock's character; he is a Vulcan, a member of a a race who value logic and reject emotional reasoning and behaviour. In other words he is not simply a human who struggles with human-like communication and behaviour but rather a Vulcan among humans. If the connection between Spock and autism was based purely on him being non-human and from a species with extremely simplified autistic traits would this not be offensive? Well, this is where it gets interesting because Spock is HALF Vulcan and HALF human. We see throughout the series and films it is not only acting like a 'normal human' he struggles with, but also being a 'normal Vulcan', the cause of many rifts between him and his father. It is this divided sense of identity that makes him so relatable for so many minority groups, but also what I think strengthens the argument that he could represent autism. The argument is no longer he is autistic because he is alien but rather is so many settings he feels alien, half belonging and half detached. He shares similarities and feelings with those around him, both Vulcan and human, but cannot be received as such because of how he expresses. He feels on the outside.

"May I say that I have not thoroughly enjoyed serving with humans. I find their illogic and foolish emotions a constant irritant."

Spock

Now, what about Data? You may be thinking 'Frey, if comparing being autistic to being an alien is potentially offensive, how on Earth can you compare yourself to a robot?!" First, Data is not a robot, he is an android. This may seem like a semantic distinction but I believe it is relevant. Data isn't just a piece of machinery designed to complete tasks, he is a mechanical approximation created to interact with those around him. He may not understand and feel emotions in the same way as his peers, but in his own way he understands many of the cores of humanity; he has friends, he loves them and he misses them when they are gone, as we witness after Tasha Yar's death. He may not express this as emotively but he notices and expresses this hole in his life. Additionally, his moments of not understanding in some strange way make him feel more human because he is always learning. When faced with a human aspect he does not understand he doesn't reject it but rather observes it.

"The purpose of this gathering confuses me...my thoughts are not for Tasha but for myself. I keep thinking how empty it will be without her presence. Did I miss the point?"

Data, 'Skin of Evil'

This is perhaps the biggest distinction for me between Spock and Data and why I find Data so much more relatable personally. Spock doesn't just not understand being human but actively rejects it; in other words he doesn't want to be human. Data on the other hand doesn't always understand human interactions and communication, he is very literal, doesn't always know when to stop talking (hence, 'that's enough Data' and 'thank you Data') and he can struggle with concepts such as small talk and humour or sarcasm. However, he doesn't push these things away, on the contrary he wants to understand. It is ultimately Data's goal to be as human as possible. Now, I'm not saying that to be autistic is to be less human, ultimately Data isn't said to be autistic and his being an android is key in this 80's sci-fi. I am not less human as an autistic person but I do relate with this difficulty in understanding others and being desperate to understand. Me being autistic isn't me rejecting others or typical social ways, as in the case of Spock, but rather coming from a different perspective like Data. This difference is beautifully shown in a conversation between Data and Spock, during which Leonard Nimoy appears in Next Generation, in which Data says "You are half human?...Yet you have chosen a Vulcan way of life...in effect you have abandoned what I have sought all my life."

A fun and less intense addition to the argument for Data's being autistic is his special interests. Spock certainly has things which interest him, hence the catchphrase "Fascinating", but due to his constant focus on efficiency he seems entirely dedicated to work, a possible sign of hyper-focus but also a side of his Vulcan nature. Data on the other hand has incredibly deep and personal special interests which have absolutely nothing to do with work. More often his special interests have much more to do with his study of humans. It is not uncommon for those of us on the Spectrum to have special interests which aid us in better understanding social cues and communication. For example, Disney is very common special interest and the cartoons have been proven to help autistic children better understand social cues and facial emotions due to the characters exaggerated and clear expressions. For Data this study comes in the form of Sherlock Holmes. The best thing about Data's obsession with the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes and recreating them on the Holodeck is that he isn't JUST studying, he loves it and learning everything about the characters and stories, two core aspects of a special interest.

So, what is my conclusion? Personally, despite his mechanic nature, Data's desire to understand those around him and his general social awkwardness resonant with me far more than Spock's cold rejection of humanity, but I can see traits that would make him relatable to other autistic individuals. Ultimately in the 1960s and 1980s these characters weren't written to be autistic in canon, but with so little actual representation where better to look than legendary sci-fi?