Nobody Ever Complained Before: Difference between revisions

* In ''[[Babylon 5]]'', the Minbari routinely salute other Minbari vessels by approaching with gunports open as a sign of respect. When they encounter a human vessel for the first time, they attempt to do the same as a friendly gesture. The Earth ship, utterly misinterpreting this maneuver and convinced the larger alien vessel is about to attack, opens fire first. The Minbari leader Dukhat was ''[[Subverted Trope|enraged]]'' when he learned his crew was doing this in a first-contact situation, but he was killed in the process of ordering the gun ports closed. A bloody war immediately followed.

* In several ''[[Star Trek]]'' episodes, various alien species actually seem surprised when the Federation objects to having their citizens [[Alien Abduction|kidnapped]].

* On ''[[Seinfeld]]'' Elaine's dancing is truly horrible, but no-one can ever bring themselves to tell her... [[Brutal Honesty|until Kramer sees her dance, that is.]]

 

== Literature ==

* We can only assume that the piggies of ''[[Ender's Game|Speaker for the Dead]]'' had never tried to disembowel another species before, or else they might have some idea why the humans objected.

* In [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''[[Worldwar]]'' series, members of the Race cannot understand why humans insist on fighting back instead of just placidly accepting their rule. Don't the humans realize that the Race is by definition the most superior species in the universe and thus natural rulers of all life? How dare they think they can resist! And how dare they actually win!

* In ''[[The Conquerors Trilogy]]'' by [[Timothy Zahn]], first contact with the Zhirrzh goes very badly because the ghosts they use for communication ([[It Makes Sense in Context]]) are fatally sensitive to radio waves. Humans are the ''FOURTH'' species this has happened with (the other three they conquered, thus the trilogy title). They never figured out that these species were trying to communicate; instead, clearly, all those other species attacked them at first contact. And those other species were so barbaric they ''armed their escape pods''! And so on.

== Real Life ==

* The Aztecs knew how to besiege others, but they had no experience surviving under siege themselves when the Spaniards did it. That was just one of many factors leading to their fall.

 

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