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Basic Trope: Aliens are responsible for teaching early humans how to do things, and are thus responsible for civilization as we know it.

  • Straight: Meteora comes to Earth, and teaches a group of cavepeople how to make better tools, plant crops, make cave art, etc. In time, their small tribe becomes a flourishing civilization.
  • Exaggerated:
    • An entire group of aliens creates a monument, and humans take credit for it.
    • The humans are aliens.
  • Downplayed:
  • Justified: Meteora has been Reassigned to Antarctica, and decides to make the best of her situation.
  • Inverted: Humans go to another planet, and teach a race of aliens how to do stuff.
    • Gods or supernatural beings from human mythologies influence a race of aliens, who build a civilisation in honor of said deities. Cue human visitors being surprised by how similar their gods are to the aliens' gods.
  • Subverted:
    • The humans have built monuments and produced artwork themselves, as well as learning for themselves how to do things like use fire and plant crops.
    • The credit goes to a race of supernatural beings, such as angels or The Fair Folk.
  • Double Subverted:
    • Their artwork pays heavy homage to aliens, or something that resembles an alien.
    • They learned by watching and imitating Meteora and her friends, even if it was unintentional.
    • In this setting, angels or faeries are basically aliens, or are at least eerily similar in concept.
  • Parodied: The humans are quite slow on the uptake, leading to Meteora becoming frustrated as she tries to teach them.
  • Zig Zagged: Some human civilizations are alien-taught, others self-taught, others angel-taught, and still others are taught by cultural exchange with any of those civilizations.
  • Averted:
    • Absent Aliens
    • Humans learned by accident, and by trial and error, how to do things.
  • Enforced: Humans Are Special
  • Lampshaded: A character remarks, "Isn't it funny how all these ancient civilizations seem to have made significant advancements around the same time? Almost like someone was helping them..."
  • Invoked: Meteora lands on Earth, and sees early humans floundering about. She decides to help them, either as an experiment, or out of pity.
  • Exploited: The aliens want the humans to become indebted to them, and so teach them everything they know. When the time comes, they come to Earth to collect whatever favor(s) they think they're owed. (This could be Natural resources, a political or military alliance, sex, etc.)
  • Defied: Meteora ignores the humans.
  • Discussed: A group of scientists debates the theory that aliens played a role in human civilization, presenting evidence and counterarguments.
    Bob: I'm telling you, the evidence is compelling! Ancient structures and artifacts suggest possible alien involvement in human civilization throughout history!
  • Conversed:
    Alice: Hey, Bob, did you catch that documentary last night about ancient civilizations?
    Bob: Yeah, it was fascinating! They brought up the theory of extraterrestrial intervention. Because, you know, aliens always have time to teach cavepeople pottery and architecture.
  • Implied: Archaeological findings suggest the existence of advanced technology or knowledge that cannot be explained by human development alone.
  • Deconstructed: The trope is explored in a more realistic manner, highlighting the challenges and consequences of relying on an external force for human advancement, such as cultural stagnation or a loss of self-determination.
  • Reconstructed: After the deconstruction, the trope is reassembled to emphasize the positive aspects of alien intervention, showcasing how it contributed to human flourishing and progress.
  • Played for Laughs: The aliens' teaching methods involve comically exaggerated gestures and gestures, resulting in humorous misunderstandings and mishaps.
  • Played for Drama: The discovery of alien involvement in human civilization sparks intense debates, cultural clashes, and even conflicts as people grapple with the implications of their origins.
  • Played for Horror: The revelation that aliens manipulated early humans for their own purposes creates a sense of dread and paranoia among the characters as they realize they are pawns in a larger, unknown plan.


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