I like that story because it shows how important it is to take as many perspectives into consideration as possible. True, we don’t know everything and I would argue, this isn’t about knowing more than others in a linear/hierarchical sense, but the whole knows more than the sum of its parts. It’s crucial to take the local perspective into consideration and the paternalistic aspect of the prime directive isn’t necessarily the conclusion itself but jumping to conclusion without involving the locals. This makes it more complex than it might sound since the locals aren’t a monolith. But every decision is paternalistic unless you are willing to really listen to those affected.
I like that story because it shows how important it is to take as many perspectives into consideration as possible. True, we don’t know everything and I would argue, this isn’t about knowing more than others in a linear/hierarchical sense, but the whole knows more than the sum of its parts. It’s crucial to take the local perspective into consideration and the paternalistic aspect of the prime directive isn’t necessarily the conclusion itself but jumping to conclusion without involving the locals. This makes it more complex than it might sound since the locals aren’t a monolith. But every decision is paternalistic unless you are willing to really listen to those affected.