Guinan might have been a bit character on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but she was also an open window by which the writers could introduce life lessons into the show. Her excellent listening abilities and calming personality made her easy for Starfleet officers to confide in, regardless of their rank on the ship.
Throughout the series, Guinan bestowed some wise lessons that carried weight not just for the characters, but for the audience as well. Here are ten of her wisest life lessons that any person can take to heart, ranked in order of their importance.
The Needs Of the One
Guinan's very first appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation came at the start of season 2 when she gave some excellent advice for young Wesley Crusher, who was conflicted about leaving the Enterprise for Starfleet Academy. She realized that he hated the thought of leaving the ship, and the people he loved so much.
In response, Guinan asked him if that's what he really wanted, to which Wesley replied that sometimes you have to think of others before yourself. Guinan agreed, but reminded him "Sometimes the game is to know when to consider yourself before others. Give yourself permission to be selfish." It's an important thing for everyone to consider their own needs from time to time.
Be A Kid
Things got very weird for the Enterprise crew in the season 6 episode "Rascals" when Captain Picard, Keiko O'Brien, Ensign Ro, and Guinan were transformed into children after a freak transporter accident. Picard had trouble showcasing authority, Keiko's young age freaked out her husband Miles, and Ro hated the fact that she was a kid.
Guinan, on the other hand, was overjoyed at the prospect. She made the most of it by indulging in everything children do when they don't have the same responsibilities as adults. She also made it her mission to take Ensign Ro under her wing and show her the joys of being a kid, regardless of how old you actually are.
How To Be A Good Mother
Guinan gave some sage advice to both Wesley Crusher and his mother Beverly in the season 3 debut episode "Evolution." The story centered around Wesley's obsessive need to succeed academically; a trait he hoped to apply later on as a full-fledged Starfleet officer.
This caused some friction between he and his mother, especially when it came to understanding. Guinan eventually told Beverly that mothers shape their kids in ways they don't fully realize, oftentimes just by listening. It's a skill most parents fail at one point or another as they raise a child.
Self-Defeating Attitudes
When Counselor Troi lost her empathic abilities in the season 4 episode "The Loss," she found it impossible to cope. She had relied on her powers for so long that she felt devalued as a person when she was forced to go without them. That was true of her professional career in Starfleet, as well as her personal relationships.
Eventually, she requested a transfer off of the Enterprise, but Guinan was intent on setting her back on the right path. She claimed that she was going to apply for the open Counselor's position, but Troi didn't believe it. When Guinan asked why Troi thought she was lying, Troi replied "I suppose it's just instinct." Guinan followed up getting her to realize that her empathic abilities didn't make her who she was. It was her own personality, experiences, and determination to help others that did.
The Old Visor
After falling in love with the holographic representation of propulsion physicist Dr. Leah Brahms on the Holodeck, Geordi LaForge was enthralled by the possibility of meeting her for real. She visited the Enterprise cold as a freezer, a fact that shocked LaForge.
Things got worse from there when she revealed that she was already married, which devastated him. Guinan suggested that Geordi was looking at Dr. Brahms with his "old visor," a reference to seeing people the way he wished to see them, as opposed to who they actually were. Her lesson was simple - people do not have to live up to anyone's expectations except their own.
Letting Go
When Picard was taken by the villainous Borg and transformed into the horrific Locutus, it dealt a severe psychological blow not just to the Enterprise crew, but to Starfleet as a whole. One of their most prestigious icons had suddenly been turned into a monster before their very eyes in an act of violation.
The otherwise-ambitious Commander Riker struggled with how to proceed as the new Captain of the Enterprise, forcing Guinan to step in. She reminded him that Picard had been compromised, and could no longer be looked to for any sort of guidance. Riker would have to let go and forge his own path if he hoped to save his crew and humanity.
Being Yourself
Geordi LaForge wasn't exactly a hit with the ladies; a fact made abundantly clear in the season 3 episode "Booby Trap" which featured a disastrous date with a fellow officer. After the date went bust, he went to Ten Forward to drown his sorrows, and Guinan stepped in to give him some advice.
LaForge couldn't understand why he kept striking out with women, to which Guinan informed him that he was simply trying too hard. When he admitted that he had trouble talking to women, Guinan said he was doing just fine with her. When Geordi replied that he wasn't trying in that moment, Guinan said "That's my point."
Never Give Up
When the Borg had finally arrived in Federation space in the season 3 closer "The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1," it seemed all hope was quickly fading. After all, the Enterprise's first encounter with the Borg was disastrous, and they narrowly avoided destruction only when Q intervened and flung them back into their own territory.
In order to prevent the Borg from making incursions into populated space, the Enterprise capitalized on their fascination with Captain Picard by drawing them away as they hid inside a nebula. There, Picard talked about the possibility of humanity going extinct due to the Borg threat. Guinan acknowledged the devastation that could occur, but she gave Picard some sage advice that they would survive and move on. The idea was to never give up, regardless of the circumstances.
The Danger Of Judging Others
The season 3 episode "Hollow Pursuits" centered around Lieutenant Barclay, a neurotic, nervous officer with a complete lack of confidence who could only find solace in the imaginary Holodeck programs and characters he escaped into. Unfortunately, it was beginning to affect his work, and his peers soon began viewing him as a problem.
Geordi LaForge got so frustrated with Barclay that he wanted him transferred until Picard ordered him to try and get through to him. He confided in Guinan for advice, who told him that if she felt everyone disliked her and didn't want to be around her, she'd feel the same way Barclay did. It was enough to convince Geordi to start looking at things from a sympathetic perspective, instead of judging Barclay as a lost cause.
The Specter Of Slavery
When Data found himself fighting for his rights as a sentient being in a Starfleet courtroom in the groundbreaking season 2 episode "Measure of a Man," Picard was given the unenviable task of acting as his defense. It came at a high cost when Commander Riker was reluctantly forced to act as the prosecution, or summary judgment would be ruled against Data.
After Riker delivered a crushing blow in court, Picard went to Ten Forward to gather his thoughts. He and Guinan sat down and discussed what the trial was actually about, and it went far beyond just one android's rights and privileges. Starfleet had envisioned a future with an entire race of androids created to act as convenient automatons on Federation vessels, doing the dangerous dirty work that organics would rather not. He soon realized that the specter of slavery had reared its ugly head once more, and it was the epiphany he needed to launch a powerful counter-argument.