Hah, that’d be me for sure. My dad’s a big TOS nut who was always lukewarm to TNG and ignored everything after that point, but I was all about some Boardroom Conversatin’ and Data-Geordi-Buddy-Engineering as my primary means of futuristic problem-solving.
Not to say it was all sunshine and rainbows in TNG, of course. But the idea that these seemingly huge issues could be resolved by thoughtful conversation, the careful application of empathy, and collaborative, solutions-driven problem-solving nestled deep into my psyche and took root.
Mild dialogue spoiler for Picard:
When Picard says, "That makes you dear to me in ways you can never understand. I will never leave you,” I genuinely got misty-eyed. God, I had missed that man, and the occasional glimpses into Picard’s great big heart.