Philosopher Who (Midterm Post 3/3)

"It's Bigger on the Inside!"

If you're a Doctor Who fan then you've heard the phrase: "It's bigger on the inside!" Even if you aren't a fan you may have heard that phrase. Since the show's beginning in 1963, anyone who has stepped into the T.A.R.D.I.S has made that observation (with the exception of a few oddballs). My point here is that, since the beginning, this has been a theme in the show. Honestly, it may be the most important philosophy the Doctor has. Nothing is ever as you expect it to be, you can't judge something by the way it looks. 

The T.A.R.D.I.S isn't the only example of that philosophy in the show. It's just one of the most repetitive and  well-known. A lot of the time, this particular philosophy appears in the form of different races. Just because someone looks different doesn't mean they're bad, or just because someone looks the same doesn't mean they are the same. A prime example of that is the Doctor himself. He is not a human but a Time \Lord. Whenever a companion figures out he is alien the first reaction is: "But you look human!" To which the Doctor replies:

Nothing in the show is what it seems which is a parrallel to life. Often times we see things on a purely physical level. We then judge based on those first appearances. In many cases those judgements are completely inaccurate. Someone you wrote off because of their looks could have turned out to be your best friend but, because of that judgement, you'll never know. 

In the case of Doctor Who, his life has been saved multiple times by people his companions originally wrote off. His life, truly, belongs to the people others consider different. This belief that what we are does not define us but who are, is one that should be applied to everyday life. And, what better way to teach that belief than through entertainment? The use of stories and drawings to teach lessons is one that has been around forever, Film-making is just the modern day version of it. For 50 years the Doctor has been doing it. 

Through his new, adventurous world the audience sees the prejudices of everyday life but they also see the Doctor look past them. Throughout space and time the Doctor looks past all the stereotypes (except when it comes to Daleks but his companions help with that). This isn't just a prominent feature of the Doctor Who series, either. This can be seen in Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Babylon 5, Farscape, etc. 

If the Doctor, who's reality involves thousands of different species and planets, can overcome prejudice then way can't we?