History Main / HumansAreDiplomats

* Inverted and subverted repeatedly in ''StationeryVoyagers''. Even the Voyagers' enemies on Markerterion treat them better than their human hosts. And it's not like HumansAreWarriors is the reason, more like [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Humans Are Violent]], AxeCrazy [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Thugs]].

** Backed up by the fact that the Federation in this game ''is'' human (that is, the colonising and starting species of the Federation are humans, just as the Romulan Star Empire has Romulans, the Cardassian Union Cardassians, etc) and that the Federation gets big boosts to its relationship with minor races (it is possible to peacefully convince minor races to become members of your empire).

* In AlanDeanFoster's ''Design For Great-Day'', humans have this role. It's suggested that this is due to humans having an exceptional flair with language (being able to "talk the legs off a crocodile and insult its parentage in the process").

* ''TheElderScrolls'': While there are several human races, Imperials, the one fitting the classical fantasy-human mold best, are known to be skilled diplomats (in fact one of their abilities is to make people like them more and they often have bonuses to speech/diplomacy).

-->-- '''Delenn''', ''Series/{{Babylon 5}}''

* Stated outright by the Minbari ambassador Delenn as the reason that only humans could have built ''{{Babylon 5}}'' - ''"Humans build communities."''

* Inverted and subverted repeatedly and brutally in ''StationeryVoyagers''. Even the Voyagers' enemies on Markerterion treat them better than their human hosts. And it's not like HumansAreWarriors is the reason, more like [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Humans Are Violent]], AxeCrazy [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Thugs]].

* In ''SpaceRangers'' humans are this. They are also SpaceJews.

* In KeithLaumer's ''Literature/{{Retief}} books, humans operate the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne, which is dedicated to adjudicating contentions between non-terrestrials and Earthlings. Although the CDT seems to succeed less due to its diplomatic prowess than from Reteif's unconventional approaches...

->''"Of course it is. For the simple reason that no one else would ever build a place like [[{{Babylon5}} this]]. Humans share one unique quality: They build communities. If the Narns or Centauri or any other race built a station like this, it would be used only by their own people. But everywhere humans go, they create communities out of diverse and sometimes hostile populations. It is a great gift, and a terrible responsibility—one that cannot be abandoned."''

-->-- '''Delenn''', ''{{Babylon 5}}''

* Humans in ''StarTrek'' pretty much run TheFederation, and the Federation has been shown to be by far the most diplomacy-inclined power in the Alpha Quadrant, especially when compared to the ProudWarriorRace Klingon or Mustache-Twirling Roman-wannabe Romulans or Fascist Cardassians. It's notable that the Federation is pretty much the only Alpha Quadrant power that is formed from a coalition.
** Taken to an extreme in ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', where the Klingons call upon the ''human'' captain of the Federation flagship, Jean-Luc Picard, to decide the next leader of the Klingon council. There are valid reasons for them not to trust their own people, of course, but even so...
** ''StarTrekEnterprise'' shows that it was the humans who brought the first races forming the Federation together. Some of them had, in fact, been at war until then.

* In the StarTrek game ''Birth Of The Federation'', The opening for the United Federation of Planets actually states this:

* Inverted and subverted repeatedly and brutally in ''StationeryVoyagers''. Even the Voyagers' enemies on Markerterion treat them better than their human hosts. And it's not like HumansAreWarriors is the reason, more like [[HumansAreBastards Humans Are Violent]], AxeCrazy [[HumansAreBastards Thugs]].

** To be fair, though, the [[BlueSkinnedSpaceBabe Asari]] are the ones with the interstellar reputation for diplomatic ability and cultural outreach; humanity, by comparison, is still rather supremacist.
** It seems that the Asari have the most experience dealing with other races, and are viewed neutrally to well by the other races, but they're a bit too complacent. Humanity is dynamic, forward thinking and creative, but still engender and harbour a fair amount of xenophobia.

* In Alan Dean Foster's ''Design For Great-Day'', humans have this role. It's suggested that this is due to humans having an exceptional flair with language (being able to "talk the legs off a crocodile and insult its parentage in the process").

* ''Deadlock'', semi-obscure sci-fi empire-builder. Several races, and humans are diplomats and traders, with bonuses for making peace-treaties and establishing trade-routes.

* ''Stonekeep'', if the only human playable character is any indication. Let's put it this way: the game's dwarves are biased against every other existing race ''except'' humans, and representatives from a good half of the other races will join you.

In video or Tsbletop games this may overlap with HumansAreAverage - rather than getting powerful bonuses and penalty, humans are given small perks to diplomacy-related skills.

** ''{{Eberron}}'', apart from making half-elves more prominent, also introduces the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Changelings]] and [[PsychicPowers Kalashtar]], both of whom have social bonuses.

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[[DeadpanSnarker It seems]] that humanity has many more [[HumansAreWarriors warriors]] than it has [[HumansAreDiplomats diplomats]] and [[HumansAreLeaders leaders.]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In KeithLaumer's ''Literature/{{Retief}} books, humans operate the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne, which is dedicated to adjudicating contentions between non-terrestrials and Earthlings. Although the CDT seems to succeed less due to its diplomatic prowess than from Reteif's unconventional approaches...
* In Alan Dean Foster's ''Design For Great-Day'', humans have this role. It's suggested that this is due to humans having an exceptional flair with language (being able to "talk the legs off a crocodile and insult its parentage in the process").
* Inverted and subverted repeatedly and brutally in ''StationeryVoyagers''. Even the Voyagers' enemies on Markerterion treat them better than their human hosts. And it's not like HumansAreWarriors is the reason, more like [[HumansAreBastards Humans Are Violent]], AxeCrazy [[HumansAreBastards Thugs]].
* In parts of the StarWarsExpandedUniverse this trope seems to come up. Humanity is not the galaxy's most diplomatic species, and individuals vary wildly, but there's a joke that goes "How do you know a [species] is lying? Their mouth is open", in which [species] is filled in by Hutts, Bothans, or humans.
** There are a lot of places where humans are the only/majority population though, so it'd be plain stupid to send a Bothan diplomat to Kashyyyk, or a Trandoshan one to Naboo.
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* This is a point of fascination for many of the Trolls in ''{{Homestuck}}''. Sure, humans may be a bunch of wimps who haven't built a galaxy-conquering empire or developed time-travelling IM clients, and they may be completely screwing up at [[spoiler: creating a new universe]]... but human society seems so much ''nicer'', and the Kids are really good at the whole "friendship" thing. The stand-out example of one of the Kids being diplomatic with a Troll is probably John with Vriska.
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In video games this may overlap with HumansAreAverage - rather than getting powerful bonuses and penalty, humans are given small perks to diplomacy-related skills.

-->''Of course it is. For the simple reason that no one else would ever build a place like [[{{Babylon5}} this]]. Humans share one unique quality: They build communities. If the Narns or Centauri or any other race built a station like this, it would be used only by their own people. But everywhere humans go, they create communities out of diverse and sometimes hostile populations. It is a great gift, and a terrible responsibility—one that cannot be abandoned.''
-->--'''Delenn''', ''{{Babylon 5}}''

* ''TheElderScrolls'': While there are several human races, Imperials, the one fitting the classical fantasy-human mold best, are known to be skilled diplomats.

*** Of note is that humanity also fulfills the HumansAreWarriors trope in the series as well--notably, the Council races are extremely reluctant to send out any support for Shepard to help stop Saren, while [[spoiler: the Alliance preps an entire fleet at the ''Normandy's'' request.]] Yes, we try to be the most diplomatic race, but make a fist at us and ''all bets are off.''

* ''FinalFantasyXII''. So, so much. The entire game is about diplomacy, with the 12-year-old Lord Larsa Solidor (a diplomatic genius) running around the continent getting the various races to help him bring peace. The other races pretty much don't care until he shows up.

* In the ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'' series, Humans have bonuses to charisma, making them better negotiators. They have, [[AllThereInTheManual according to the third game's manual]], ''twice'' dominated the galaxy, forming allied fleets to take down both the Orion Guardian and Antares. They did this not through military conquest, but by convincing everyone else to work for them.

Of course HumansAreDiplomats and HumansAreWarriors, though opposite, need not exclude one another. After all HumansAreSpecial and "Speak softly and carry a big stick." was coined by humans.

* In ''MasterOfOrion 2'' Humans have bonuses to charisma, making them better negotiators.
** In MOO1 and 3 diplomatic abilities are the primary advantage of the Human race as well.
** To put some perspective to this, Humans have ''twice'' dominated the galaxy, forming allied fleets to take down both the Orion Guardian and "Antares". They did this not through military conquest, but by convincing everyone else to work for them.