12 Genius Decisions By Star Trek Captains
5. Kirk Decides To Cheat On A Test
The Kobayashi Maru is an infamous psychological exercise inflicted on Starfleet cadets. It presents would-be command officers with an unbeatable simulation. The purpose is to teach officers to accept no-win scenarios.
Here’s how it goes- the cadet is placed in command of a starship. The crew receives a distress call from a civilian vessel- The Kobayashi Maru. The ship is stranded in the Neutral Zone and under attack from Klingons. The cadet can either enter the neutral zone, violating a treaty with the Romulans, and potentially sparking a war. Or, they can leave the civilian ship to be destroyed by the Klingons. It’s lose-lose. So, how did Kirk win?
Simple: he decided to cheat the test.
Kirk reprogrammed the simulation so that it was possible to save the civilians with no negative consequences. Now, this may seem cheap to you, but Starfleet gave Kirk a commendation for “creative thinking.”
Kirk came out of the Academy with a reputation for success in the face of impossible odds. That would eventually land him in the captain's chair.