The Philosophy of The Matrix
You know of red pills. But it’s rabbit hole time.
I give you: my philosophy of the Matrix.
----
Today, The Matrix Resurrections releases. It's been 18 years since the last one.
At 15, The Matrix (1999) was a cool action movie to me.
As the years went by, the trilogy became a spiritual centerpiece of my life. I’ve studied it. Embedded it into my personal philosophy.?
At first, my eyes hurt (I’d never used them).
Now, I see the world more clearly.
My top philosophical learnings:
-----?
1. Understand your false consciousness
(Karl Marx) Matrix inhabitants are exploited by the ruling class but aren’t capable of understanding that. They’re lulled to sleep and stunted by the promises of institutions.?
→ To change the status quo, individuals must seize control of their own lives.
2. Mold your reality
(Plato - Allegory of the Cave). Caged prisoners have little knowledge of the world, accepting the “reality” conveyed by captors. They’re resistant to alternative “truths.”
→ Free yourself, see the world with YOUR eyes, and free others.
领英推荐
3. Tune in to your dreams
Morpheus is named after the Greek god of dreams — literally, “he who forms.” (He’s become my spirit animal.)
→ Have people in your life that believe you’re “the one” — pushing you to dream and excel to unimaginable heights.
4. Choose meaning over symbols
(Jean Baudrillard) Society has replaced meaning with symbols (net worth, status, material goods, etc.) Culture and media construct perceived reality. Mimetic Theory (see Luke Burgis ) explains how our environmental influences (e.g., social media, colleagues) shape our not-so-genuine wants as individuals.
→ Live Inside-Out: establish deeper (more “realistic”) clarity of how you’re wired and what YOU want in life. Meditate, journal, detach from stimuli, invest in a coach — whatever it takes.
5. Being shouldn’t be boring
(Existential nihilism) Neo is haunted by a routine that makes him think life has no intrinsic meaning. (“Living for the weekend” is a terrible existence.) Adam Grant explains our okay-ness with this mediocre status quo as “languishing.” This all stems from merely accepting our circumstances and operating from a scarcity mindset.
→ Believe in abundance (the world is not zero-sum). As a growth-wired human, push yourself in all aspects of life — continually edging towards work and experiences that challenge and enliven you.?
-----
We all live in some version of the Matrix. What’s yours?
Do you understand the implications?
What are you doing about it?
#matrix #philosophy #personaldevelopment #careers #motivation
?????Trusted IT Solutions Consultant | Technology | Science | Life | Author, Tech Topics | My goal is to give, teach & share what I can. Featured on InformationWorth | Upwork | ITAdvice.io | Salarship.Com
5 个月Matt, thanks for putting this out there!
Here to connect brands with customers | Demand Generation
1 年Matt, 100 percent!
Staff Software Engineer
2 年The first one is perplexes me. Institutions are not there for your best interest. Ask anyone who has worked in a large organization - the individual is all but lost. Yet people so willingly commit themselves to institutions and take the institution on as their identity. Odd.
Charisma Is Crucial To Leadership Excellence - Hone Your Competitive Edge | Elite Performance Coaching for Rising Leaders | TEDx Speaker | Former Tech C-suite
2 年You know I love this stuff. Disconnecting from the noise the world blankets us with, and then working -- every day -- to not only see life as it TRULY is but to BECOME who I was truly meant to be. No equivocations, no exceptions, full self-discovery and emergence. Quote that I love: "I don't like the idea that I’m not in control of my life."
Financial Planning for Canadian Physicians | Founder @ Unaffiliated Wealth
2 年I love the parallels you've drawn between the Matrix and life, Matt! Very clear you've become a student of it. My favorite is: "4. Choose meaning over symbols (Jean Baudrillard) Society has replaced meaning with symbols (net worth, status, material goods, etc.) Culture and media construct perceived reality. Mimetic Theory (see?Luke Burgis) explains how our environmental influences (e.g., social media, colleagues) shape our not-so-genuine wants as individuals. →?Live Inside-Out: establish deeper (more “realistic”) clarity of how you’re wired and what YOU want in life. Meditate, journal, detach from stimuli, invest in a coach — whatever it takes." When we become the architect of our own lives and dictate for ourselves what we want, life becomes so much more enjoyable.