They don't always. Infact this is not the message more popular series relay.
I think if you go out on a saturday night, Its quite obvious (at least in any UK city) that most people probably arent as developed. I know, as i'm within the chaos thinking this in disgust. But we are not all this way.
If you view certain series such as star trek/ Enterprise/ voyager etc. I think one of the interesting areas of these programs are the fact that they usually display some good examples of current human evolution put into practice within certain fictional senarios, and the fact that going it the aliens way, is not always the best way.
Sometimes if we use our own ability to use logic, reason and take into consideration how our decisions effect others, We come out better then we would otherwise.
Some of the ETs are more advanced in terms of wisdom, some are technologically more advanced but also emotionally stunted.
I'm sure that this is the actual reality. And certain writers get this across very well.
