A people, a way of life
A unique ability
The society that evolved
Anataria

Anatarians generally consider the outside universe to be made up of races at various stages of immaturity. Many of the stresses of individualism are seen as childish rebellious acts because they are not tempered by the good for the whole. Their viewpoint of Federation society that is so stratified and fragmented as a laughable way to attempt to create a greater society. They view the nuclear family as an unconnected part of society as a pitiful way to live and think that Federation citizens lose a lot by indulging in their ever-increasing wanderlust.

Outsiders are viewed with a measure of distrust, and non-Anatarians are only rarely allowed on the surface of Anataria at all, they prefer that any interstellar relations that take place on Kirjath station. It is not forbidden for offworlders to visit Anataria, but unless someone has close ties with one of the families or the government, it would be very difficult to be allowed. There is much precedent for Anataria's suspicion of outsiders. Their thrust into the interstellar scene was only after a war was brought to their world by the other sentient species that developed in their system.

The Ferengi are viewed with inherent distrust, and avoided if at all possible. Cardassians they have watched from a distance, especially as they took a beating during the Dominion war, and have since worked to rebuild their infrastructure. The Breen they have little contact with, finding their warrior-like mentality decidedly opposed to their own philosophies. The Khall'ianen are viewed as an interesting attempt to create a unified whole of peoples from many cultures, but the Anatarians still are rather skeptical it will work out. However, in the mean time, they are not opposed to limited relations with that young power.

Anatarians have a high opinion of their own culture and way of life, this not generally observed because the people that outsiders come into contact with are trained to deal with outsiders and do not believe that such a display of pride is helpful in good relations. However, if outsiders were to visit Anataria, they would be met with a great deal of cultural pride which is tempered by a general good nature and friendliness towards individuals. It is seen as very rude to make any sort of disparaging remark to an outsider of their particular culture. They are more seen as to be pitied, because they don't know the benefits of the Anatarian society. Their philosophy states that once their own are taken care of, they have a duty to the universe to assist as is within their power to do so.

Outsiders generally meet Anatarians through one of two vehicles. The Vanden, which are the embodiment of the universal good- will that the Anatarians hold as a moral standing. The Vanden ships are small, most of them holding a crew of between 20 and 26. Some larger ships exist, but they do not see much use. Most of the crews of these ships are on the younger side of Anatarian citizens, and as such tend to influence outside opinion of their race on the side of being naive, passionate, and idealistic---easily awed by the unknown.

The other side that offworlders encounter is the Anatarian diplomats and business women and men. The style of dress tends to be simple, lending an air of unsophisticated honesty to the Anatarians, but they also tend to be seen as more aloof, highly intelligent, and fiercely protective of their own kind, but with a touch of arrogance that does nothing to taint their perspective of facts and reality. The surest way to offend an Anatarian diplomat is hint in some way that they could be persuaded to work against the good of their own people, for their own personal benefit.

All Anatarians who intend on leaving the homeworld are given access to education regarding the races and situations they may encounter when traveling on their own. This training is quite comprehensive, with special emphasis on motivation, cultural taboos, faux pas, and figures of speech. Likewise, all of the Vanden are required to learn two languages in addition to their own, and they view the usage of language as a window to the past and culture of what is still rather alien to their viewpoints. They do have translation technology available; they just prefer to use what is the dominant human language as a base, simply because humans seem to find a way to be a presence everywhere. Therefore Anatarians generally aren't seen as "very alien" when compared to other races that do not capitulate their own cultural identity to understanding other people's viewpoint when "abroad."