Obsessiveness and also social awkwardness or misanthropy generally. I think that's what actually separates Kirk and Spock, that Kirk is incredibly good at all social niceties. (The implication is that Bones can be but does not always choose to be.) Spock is the outsider, the one who isn't always sure about the unspoken in social situations. Kirk has an incredible social instinct, not just for picking up the ladies but for diplomacy in general. (Picard does too, of course, but he's not represented as a genius, but more a very good, experienced captain who can do all this shit blindfolded.) That's why Spock isn't captain yet.
But what grew out of K/S was this simplification into the cowboy/nerd shipping like McShep. And of course, Sheppard is quite smart, I think he has an MS or something and went to the Air Force Academy but don't quote me on that. Anyway, Sheppard is more like Watson, in that he is very intelligent but just isn't a genius like Holmes/McKay. And when you identify with the misanthropic genius, it isn't just that Watson and Sheppard aren't geniuses, but that they waste the brain power they do have with understanding social situations; real geniuses have no time for this! When of course if you look at at least the Holmes canon, Holmes is glad that Watson does notice these things and is there to grease the wheels.
So how can Kirk be a genius if he's also very good in social situations and also gets into bar fights and drinks a lot and sleeps with a lot of ladies? That can't possibly be wish fulfillment! So he must not be that much of a genius.
That said, I think the OP of the secret was reading stuff I'm not reading. McCoy is not a genius, but an awesome doctor, so Kirk can be a genius in K/Mc. nuTrek K/S may be different.
no subject
But what grew out of K/S was this simplification into the cowboy/nerd shipping like McShep. And of course, Sheppard is quite smart, I think he has an MS or something and went to the Air Force Academy but don't quote me on that. Anyway, Sheppard is more like Watson, in that he is very intelligent but just isn't a genius like Holmes/McKay. And when you identify with the misanthropic genius, it isn't just that Watson and Sheppard aren't geniuses, but that they waste the brain power they do have with understanding social situations; real geniuses have no time for this! When of course if you look at at least the Holmes canon, Holmes is glad that Watson does notice these things and is there to grease the wheels.
So how can Kirk be a genius if he's also very good in social situations and also gets into bar fights and drinks a lot and sleeps with a lot of ladies? That can't possibly be wish fulfillment! So he must not be that much of a genius.
That said, I think the OP of the secret was reading stuff I'm not reading. McCoy is not a genius, but an awesome doctor, so Kirk can be a genius in K/Mc. nuTrek K/S may be different.