The first instalment of the movie series, the Matrix was released in 1999 and it changed the world with its unique plot and action sequences. It is one of the few movies that is relevant to this date and really makes you think. Many of you probably know what the movie is about, but in a nutshell, mankind created machines. These machines became sentient and there was a war between them and mankind. Machines won (surprise!!). The machines created the Matrix and use humans to create energy because the humans have blocked out the sun. Meanwhile, the humans don’t know that they are trapped in the Matrix, which is a simulation of the world. Some people have escaped from the matrix and live underground in a city called Zion. There is much more to the plot but this is just how I would put it in a nutshell.
The movie series has taken inspiration from the works of the French philosopher, sociologist and cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard. Concepts from Hinduism and Buddhism are referenced in the movies as well. The movies try to tell us that living in the matrix is bad and that all of mankind should be saved. Neo, the protagonist, is given a choice by Morpheus, an outsider who doesn’t live in the Matrix (the iconic red pill blue pill scene). Either he learns the truth or he continues living in the matrix, forgetting that he ever met Morpheus. Whether that is the right thing to do or not is what we are going to look at.
Coming out of the matrix is an obvious choice for some people but I thought I should try to make an argument. You might be reading this on your cell phone, laptop, I-pad at your home, office, library or elsewhere. Imagine an unknown person shows up after you’re done reading this and tells you that you have been living in a simulation. All of this is fake and the real world is being ruled by machines, just like in the movies. The surviving humans are living underground because the surface is uninhabitable. You can choose to stay here in this simulation or go out to join the fight or just live in the “real world”. Of course all of this is based on the assumption that we believe this person is telling the truth and then make a choice.
There are a few things that are different from the movies though. Neo was not allowed to change his mind and stay in the matrix after knowing the truth. However in this case, if you feel like you don’t like the truth, you have an option to forget the knowledge of the truth and continue with your life in the simulation.
One more thing that the movies did was that Neo was the chosen one. He was prophesied to be the One to face the machines and so he does, eventually bringing peace between the two species. The humans in the matrix remain there and Zion is safe. But in our case, there is no such prophecy, no chosen One.
I thought of a few reasons why one would stay in or one would go out of the matrix.
Reasons to leave the simulation:
Following the truth:
Now that you know the truth about the world, your perception of reality has changed. You realize that this is not the real world. Maybe your life here wasn’t satisfying enough for you or maybe you don’t really have much to lose if you leave, but a new life is waiting for you outside and you’re ready to take your chances there. It’s similar to what happened with the slave that escaped the cave in the Allegory of the Cave by Plato. Now that you know the truth, you cannot turn your back to it. Even in the movie, it was stated that the matrix was initially designed as a “Paradise Project” but humans didn’t accept the program and longed for misery and suffering. It’s a combination of peace and suffering that defines our reality and although you did face hard times when you were in the simulation, the truth is something humans have always pursued.
Stand against the enemy:
After learning that the machines are breeding humans, using them as a source of energy, you decide to be a part of the armed forces of the surviving community to take a stand against the enemy. You are ready to fight for your freedom and show the machines that their creators will always be at the top. Humans have been the dominant species on this planet for many centuries and have evolved into what we are today. Our mistakes define us and improve us. Although defeating the machines cannot by simply pulling a plug out of a socket, fighting for your freedom and the lives of your children and their children is something you are ready to do.
Living on your own terms:
You might think this is similar to taking a stand against the enemy but there’s a difference. The thought of living in a dream world while being used as a resource is unacceptable for you. I guess you can call this a matter of pride. You’d rather die in the outside world than be an energy producing lump of mass. It’s not like you want to overthrow the machine empire but rather live as a human and die as one, not as a program in the matrix. You want to see how people live outside, meet them, experience their culture and eventually die with them.
Reasons to not leave the simulation:
Ignorance is bliss:
If you choose to live in this simulation, you are going to forget everything about the outside world. As long as you don’t know the truth, it’s fine. This can be called as the choice of a coward if you want, but as long as you choose to stay inside, you will be unaware of the events that have happened and are happening in the real world. Basically, you will not be living in guilt for the rest of your life. You are more than satisfied with your current life and do not want to live in constant fear of the machines. After forgetting about the truth, this will be your reality. This is where you have spent your entire life and will die, be it of old age, a disease or an accident. You just want to live a normal life and it’s understandable.
Choosing the better of the two:
Living outside in the real world is not as easy as you might think. The earth’s surface is uninhabitable, the sun is blocked out and almost all plants and animals have gone extinct. The necessary resources for the survival of humanity are running out. It’s a matter of time before the machines find us and then, it’s more or less guaranteed that they will wipe us out. Even if we manage to run away, hide or even defeat them, we still don’t have enough food and water for everyone. Liberating all the people that are still in the simulation from the rule of the machines sounds like the right things to do, but what do we do after that? The sudden increase in population in the city underground will only lead to the collapse of the ruling committee that has been established. No food, no water, not enough space for accommodation are only some of the many problems that will start popping up. Living in the simulation doesn’t sound too bad now, does it?
Satisfied with your life:
You are more than happy with your current life. Everyone has faced ups and downs and will continue to do so but you have considered the risks of living in the real world. If you are going to forget about it anyway, continuing to live your current life is an easy choice for you to make. The most important factor at play here is your family. If you were just asked to replace Neo in the movie and then make a choice, maybe you would have decided to leave the matrix. But here, you are you. Your perception is your reality and once you no longer remember anything about the real world, this will be your reality.
Conclusion:
What would you do if you were told that you’ve been living in a simulation, and that the earth is ruled by machines? I asked this question to a few people. Most of them chose to escape the simulation after hearing the truth. To be honest, I didn’t really think people would choose to go out so easily after being asked to give up their current lives, I know it won’t be easy for me. I’m sure there are many more reasons as to why one would choose to stay or leave the simulation. One could make an argument that the simulation was just the first layer of this illusion we live in. It is possible that those who chose to escape the simulation are just one layer less deep in a simulation that is built of multiple layers. So what did you choose and why?
“The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky
