Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Blog#2 - Red Pill or Blue Pill?

New Due Date - Friday, Sept. 19th

Which pill would you have taken and why?

Neo is offered the red pill and the blue pill by Morpheus in the opening act of the Matrix. The blue pill allows Neo to remain in the Matrix, in essence to go back to sleep and to remember this little encounter w/ Morpheus as a dream or "believe whatever you want to believe". The red pill allows Neo to stay in the "wonderland" and discover the truth.

Here's an essay about the pills - http://www.arrod.co.uk/essays/matrix.php I like this sentence best in the essay:

"The question then is not about pills, but what they stand for in these circumstances. The question is asking us whether reality, truth, is worth pursuing."

I think since most if not all of you who are taking this class are taking this class b/c you want to dig deeper into life, you are highly curious and intelligent and want to find out what is out there, I think there's very very few who will NOT take the red pill.

So, when answering this question, consider the possible ramifications/consequences of choosing your pill.

  • Are you content with knowing that you could die at any moment from those machines that are trying to kill you?
  • What if Neo is NOT the One and you've sacrificed yourself for nothing?
  • Obviously, if you choose the blue pill and you go back into the Matrix, would you be able to live w/ yourself w/ the knowledge that you had the answers at your fingertips and you let them go (for whatever reasons - fear, apathy, etc.)?

So, when choosing, choose wisely and consider the consequences of your actions. Discuss this in your blog. 200 words minimum.

26 comments:

  1. The matrix is essentially a symbolic version of multiple philosophers’ thoughts and ideas, collaborated and intertwined into one amazing film. In regard to the philosophic question of enlightment versus ignorance a.k.a the blue pill verse the red; personally I would regard this situation from all angles before making my decision. Is ignorance truly bliss? Is knowledge really power? All these modern day clichés may be over said, and sometimes corny, but were derived from conceptual idea of human knowledge, and needs. The matrix, a blissful world, that really entails more danger then it might seem, is the epitome of ignorance. Ok so to get down to it, i would consider the following options, A) am I happy with the sate of the world today?
    B) Do I like the majority of things in my life?
    c) Will knowing the truth hurt me more then not knowing?
    D) How will I feel after I take the blue pill?
    E) Can I help to change the truth once I know it?
    f) Personally, I believe that I only live one life, and do not continue on to a further place (such as heaven) and so because "life is shot" should I risk knowing the truth for the sake of having a life worth living?
    In the end, as it might seem obvious to others, I would take the red pill, deal with the consequences of my actions and try my best to survive. However, if there's anything we can take from the Matrix, it's that you should never trust reality, and the truth may not be the ultimate answer, and last of all, never accept what is known, never fully accept what you see, always question, wonder, and warp your beliefs, and who knows, even you could be the next Neo.

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  2. I would take blue pill because quite frankly facing reality sucks. If I was content in my life and it was real to me why would it matter if it wasn’t real to you? I feel that truth is not for everyone. I feel that some people are not equipped for the truth. People like me don’t need the truth we need to live in a world of cotton candy and pink bunnies to keep from taking our own lives. Being a weak person I know that knowing the truth and never being able to escape it would be too much. Sure I would forever be a slave to machines and never truly live I would be ok with that; because to me and in my reality I would be living and happy. So if I took the red pill what is so great about truth? What is so great about knowing that everything I am and everything I knew was a lie? What would I get out of seeing the truth and knowing there is nothing you can do about it? To live a depressing life where you could have just as easily lived in the dream of the matrix? Everyone wants to know and see and feel the truth but why? The cost of happiness is too high for me to pay. I’ve seen reality, the abuse the rape and depression and I’d rather never see it or know it again.

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  3. Red Pill versus Blue pill asks one of the most basic life questions.

    As Cypher so elegantly point out while he is cutting a deal with Agent Smith, Ignorence is bliss. When he says this, it is in reference to how he wants to be re-inserted into the matrix so that he can go back to living in a simulation.

    For Cypher, the choice was clear. He would rather live life in a fake dreamland instead of living the brutal truth.

    The whole point of Red Pill versus Blue Pill is accepting something that you have no idea what it is. It is easy for us to say that we'd take the blue pill, and want to know the truth, but this is from a skewed perspective.

    It is important to consider tis question without knowing the truth in advance. With no idea of its implications it would be difficult to prepare yourself for the truth.

    Even considering the above statements, I would take the blue pill to learn the truth. It is my personal preference to live a life with a real purpose, instead of just getting by. It is important for me to be able to live, not just for myself or for the people close to me, but future generations as well. When taking the red pill, I see it as sort of selfish because you are choosing to ignore a potential problem and giving up a potential opportunity to make your mark.

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  4. The question it self raises a few comments on the pills. First, not knowing what the red pill would do, I would have no idea what this guy that was offering me answers to. Next it would be tough to take the red pill because I would be leaving everything that I know, and do, and everything that I will know and do. Also the location that the question is offered leads me to believe that my memory will be erased because I cannot return to a wonderland that I am already in. All of the doubt surrounding the red pill would leave me to take the blue pill. The red pill is tempting to anyone, but it could be something as simple as what cafeteria workers really put in the soup, or it could be as earth shattering as it was in the Matrix. Most of the conversation in the class surrounded the red pill, and almost all of the arguments revolved around all the risks of the whole thing. However, only Veronica supported the blue pill, so either our class is full of big risk takers, or the movie has made us somewhat bias about the whole thing. I am coming at the question as if I were just someone that was Neo’s age in a stable job and was living comfortably. That is just too much to lose for uncertainty.

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  5. When I first heard this question, I honestly had no idea which one I would choose, and to be quite frank, I still don't know for sure. I feel like the rope in a game of tug-of-war. One part of me likes to be in a "wonderland" where I can be what I want to be surrounded by the people who love me; living without a care in the world. The other part is curios and attracted to adventure and the fulfillment of helping other people- doing something useful with my life to make a difference in the world.
    This may seem stupid, but now that my thoughts are out of my head, looking back at what I've written, the choice seems obvious. I truthfully didn't know what my choice would be but now that I've seen it on "paper" I'm certain that I would take the blue pill and learn the truth.
    Even though the truth can be brutal and hard to accepts, I feel like the most honorable way to go is to explore the unknown. I forget who mentioned it in class today, but I'd rather take a risk to better the world for other the ones I love and the ones still to come. Backing out on the opportunity to help humanity is an irreplaceable honor and I think it should not be taken lightly. My initial selfish reaction was that I would want to skate through life in a world full of ponies and rainbows and cotton candy, but I'd rather take a risk for the good of myself and others, even though I know that in the moment I would definitely be hesitant to make the choice.
    -Kelsey

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  6. Red pill, hands down. I think one of the greatest things about being human and having such an advanced, complex brain is the ability to ponder the world around us. To choose the blue pill is to mock the existence of that ability and render it useless or plain. The fact that some people make the conscious decision to do so legitimately frightens me. I'm in this class because I consider myself an inquisitive person, and I like exploring the possibilities of how everything is and has been and how it came to be.

    Should I take the blue pill and go back to the Matrix with the knowledge that I refused the truth, I would spend every minute of every day wondering what could or would have happened, and I probably never would forgive myself. The worst consequence to consider in weighing the two choices is NOT death, in my opinion, but ignorance. I believe it is much more of a punishment to willingly send yourself into a world of ignorance when you had the chance to learn about what the world around you truly is. Few people get that opportunity, and if you are offered the chance to experience it, you should take it. Taking the red pill shows courage, inquisition, curiosity, and the fact that you are a rational person who gives value to and appreciates knowledge and truth. Taking the blue pill indicates insecurity, stubbornness, and rejection of reality. In my mind, that is simply unforgivable.

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  7. For me the decision between the blue and red pill would be a hard one to make. I feel very unsure about which one I would pick, I like what both pills offer. One part of me would choose the blue pill because I am afraid of change. I am happy with my life so I don’t know if I am willing to change it. I know that if I choose the blue pill I would continue to live my life, but would always be curious about what would of happen if I decided to take the red pill. The other part of me would choose the red pill purely because of curiosity.
    Even though my thoughts are split about the pills I think I would choose the blue pill. I believe what you don’t know can’t hurt you. So, because I wouldn’t no exactly what the red pill would do I would be ok with not taking it. It would be hard for me to leave my familiar surroundings. To leave family and friends and not know when you would see them again would be a difficult thing to do. The blue pill represents structure and that your life would remain the same. I am happy with my life and would want to keep living it.
    -Shayna Stillman

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  8. Whether I would chose the blue or the red pill is actually a fairly difficult question for me. I feel like what anyone answers, myself included, has to do mostly with how content they are with their current situation. Someone who just found the love of their life, or had a child, or even who simply loves their job isn’t going to want to upset the status quo. While obviously none of these categories apply to me and I’d like to think that I would choose the truth, I still actually enjoy my life quite a bit. I have a family and friends, two dogs and lots of books to read. On the whole my current reality isn’t at all bad.
    Even considering what I might be giving up to learn the truth, I think I’d still choose the red pill. I’ve always been a little bit curious about the real nature of the world, and if I was ever actually given the option of even potentially finding out what it is I’d never be able to forgive myself if I turned it down. I’d walk around each day wondering (even more than I do already) if I really am living in a “dreamworld” and have lost my only chance to ever wake up.

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  9. When first posed this question, my instinct was to choose the red pill. I think we, as humans, have an innate sense of curiosity that makes us question the world around us. If someone were to say they had a secret but they couldn't tell you, I'm pretty sure you would be annoyed. You want to know the secret, however minute it may be.
    I relate the blue pill vs. red pill conundrum to the people I meet. Let's say you were extremely close with someone and then one day, that person passes away. You would be heartbroken and devastated but you wouldn't regret knowing that person. You would focus your ideas on the times you spent together. I would rather have met that person and have been happy rather than not to meet them at all just because I would feel deeply saddened after they're gone. It’s a sacrifice everyone makes when they fall in love. Some people are too scared of getting hurt and choose not to become close with people. I think these people feel emptiness because they have never experienced a feeling that so many people build their lives around. But there's another thing, you would never know what you were missing out on. You can't feel a sense of loss about something you never knew existed and that adds to the idea of ignorance is bliss. Still, given the ramifications, I would choose the red pill. I don’t think I would be satisfied going through life with my head in the clouds. I would be curious and want to see what is really at the bottom of the rabbit hole.

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  10. Personally, I would take the blue pill. I am happy with my life and do not see anything wrong with it. I do not think the truth is for everyone and I do not know if I could face the truth. I am a very routine person and knowing that what I have been doing is a lie, would really upset me. I know I could not handle the truth because I am afraid of change. Even if I did choose the red pill, after hearing the truth, am I not really sure what it would do for me. Is there something I can do to change the parts of my life that have been a lie? Also, I could never live with the fact that I had been run by machines. I would not be able to take the fact that I had been so ignorant and oblivious. Maybe if I was like Neo I would want the truth, but unlike him I see nothing wrong with my life and my reality. He knew something was not right and wanted reassurance. Like stated in the article, "it is not about choosing the pill but about the circumstances they represent, if I picked the red pill I would have no idea what I was in for. I think a lot of people pick the red pill because in "The Matrix" we know what Neo does not and therefore we think the decision is easy. As much as I do not like "not knowing" I think a life of comfort and routine is a lot easier than a life of questioning and doubt. This would be a very difficult decision and it would take me a long time to figure out which one to take. I think if I did have to choice one it would be the blue pill.

    Allison LaSota

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  11. When choosing the red pill versus the blue pill thousands of factors, questions, and thoughts come into your mind. First off, like the majority of the class i would choose the Red pill. How could you possibly turn down the answers to life that philosophers have been arguing about for the past thousands of years. Yes, Morphus said all i can offer you is the truth and to be completely fair you don't really know what he is talking about. Like the truth in what. Life, history, or even fate. Curiosity comes out of me when faced with a question like this. To me if i knew the outcome of taking the red pill and the future that was in store for me i would take the blue pill. But coming from the frame of mind that i have no idea what he is talking about, i would choose the red pill. Purely out of curiosity and interest in "the truth". If i could i would question morphus. Ask him the truth in what?

    What happened to Neo after he choose the red pill was no other phrase but life changing. He saw the whole world in another set of eyes. He no longer could see, lets just say, his mom in the same way. She really is not his mom, she is just a battery being used by these machines.

    So my final answer. If i had no idea what was in store ahead i would choose the red pill. But... if i had an idea and some background information on what i was about to find out i would choose the blue pill.

    Ryan Bertrand
    9/18/08

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  12. I really do not like the idea of having only two choices. Although I now know what happens after taking the red pill, I would not at the time these pills were being offered to me, and I would definately not be willing to accept that Morpheus actually knows the truth. I also wouldn't want Morpheus to just tell me the truth- I would want to find it on my own. I wouldn't see why his way would be the only way or why if he could figure it out I couldn't. And even if I knew what would come after taking the red pill, I probably still would not want to take it because it would not answer any of my questions. Knowing that we're actually controlled by machines for the time being still doesn't tell me how we got here or why we're here. But I still wouldn't take the blue pill because I would want to remember what happened to me just so I can keep my options open when searching for the truth on my own terms, which I think I could probably figure out on my own. If I didn't ever find out for sure, I would be okay with it though, because at least I was alive- I don't really care if it's in or out of the matrix. A quote from Bright Eyes sums my thoughts up pretty well- "There is no right way or wrong way, you just have to live, so I do what I do and at least I exist. What could mean more than this?"

    Shelby

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  13. Within the question of taking the Red pill or the Blue pill, I would personally have to opt for the red. While there may be consequences such as one's sight of the sun that blinds him as he exits the cave, they would have to understand that there is no legitimately safe way of entering back into something like The Matrix. If I was to take the blue pill, I may seem to temporarily see the choice as one that will keep me safe and out of any possible dangers that I had the pleasure of realizing (sarcasm).
    I would want to seek the truth because I know within my heart that the truth is almost never easy to explain or experience, but a life without it harbors much more pain. The projected outcome of taking the blue pill is that you will awake in your home with the truth only known to yourself. While you may be very quiet and remain silent about the issue for the remaining days of your "Life", you would always be on the run from the Agents and other malicious programs created to make sure what you just found out never leaves your breath again. The agents would never back down because if two men were to keep a secret, then one is dead.
    The red pill is an opportunity to break free from the chains that bind oneself to the enslavement that the Matrix has created. While it comes with the price of understanding that you have been living a lie the entire time, the sacrifice is well worth it due to the fact that you would know the errors humanity had made and the consequences they had faced. The resistance created by Morpheus and the other "Hackers" is worth the discovery of the ashes of the world you thought you knew because you realize that Matrix or not, the humans have a right to choose. Some may prefer the matrix such as Cipher, but others would fight to the death to save people from enslavement. Long story short, I choose the red pill because I would fight to the death to protect my right to choice.


    August Orlow
    5th Hour

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  14. If given the choice between the red and blue pills, I would without question take the red pill – but it’s for a slightly different reason than I’m sure most people who answer this question would go red. A common explanation for the vermillion choice might be because one wants to discover the truth about life, or because one wouldn’t be able to live with the “what if” questions if one took the blue pill. A burning desire to discover the truth isn’t my reason for choosing red, however, nor is the thought of living life with the “what if” questions after going blue. The reason I would choose the red pill is simple: the “reality” in which we currently live is boring. A steady diet of fictional television shows and role-playing video games since I was in elementary school has rendered reality outright mundane by comparison. I’d give anything to escape from our tedious reality and be transported to the world of Pokemon or Final Fantasy or a similar game. Obviously, the chances of the red pill warping me to the world of Pokemon (This is assuming I don’t know exactly what the “truth” is, much like Neo didn’t at that point in the film) would be incredibly low. Even so, given the circumstances under which Morpheus is theoretically posing the red vs. blue question to me, I know that whatever the “truth” is, it’d probably be more exciting than the reality I’m leaving in now. Even if taking the red pill meant getting attacked by sentient robots – then, hey, that means sentient robots are real. And that’s definitely more exciting than this reality.

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  15. Viva la red pill, baby.

    Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. We take something from everything we do, and little by little these tiny experiences coagulate into our being like Lego blocks of electricity. Every time we think, laugh, see, smell, touch, taste or use any function of our brain, electricity makes chemicals react. They blossom, burning and morphing and affecting far more than we realize; for with every chemical reaction that takes place, we are setting up atoms for another set of chemical reactions to take place—-a reaction that may never have happened in that point in time were it not for that exact ratio of chemicals. We are dominos: each cerebral action begets another, and thusly, we are our experiences, our choices. To change any one of them is to change the whole series of thought which follows it.

    How does this pertain to the red pill? It’s simple, really: since we are our experiences and choices, then the only way we can know our true selves is to be subjected to the truth, otherwise we are a shadow of who we really could have been. There is no, "What if I hate reality?", "What if I regret my choice?" or, "Would I have been happier?" None of these questions matter, simply because they are a part of a falsehood. Lies are lies, whether one is happy in them or not.

    Furthermore, reality itself is not subjective (i.e., not under discretionary opinion) and so our true selves are not subjective. I accept that there is only one true objective reality. If another objective reality is offered via a vibrantly-colored tracking device under the brilliant camouflage of a placebo pill, then it is my duty to myself to weight which of the two realities is the true objective one: the familiar, well worn one, or the foggy uncertainty of the new one.

    I do not believe in the theory of “world lines”. I do not believe in multiple planes of existence. Cool blue reason is my existence, and it is because of that I take the red pill twixt thumb and forefinger, swigging Dr. Pepper to help swallow the truth, and delve into the unknown depths of the rabbit hole.

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  17. I still have a hard time with this question: red pill or blue pill? I know some people would disagree that the answer is so blatantly obvious, but I don’t know if I would risk losing my life and securities just to know the truth. For instance, what if the truth is that everything you have work towards means nothing, and the truth is that you are alone, sitting in a black hole. I mean come on, I would much rather be living in a so-called “dreamland” than being alone and having nothing to live for. In the article, it even mentions that the blue pill has more advantages- the system has a place for you, “an expected path to follow.” It’s not the fact that you might have to start over that scares me, I have moved before. Honestly, moving isn’t that bad. Making new friends can be hard, but your family is always going to be there when you get home. Those people will not change. The side affect of taking the red pill is that everything you have come to know is false.

    I guess in the end if I had a choice, maybe deep down I would know I should take the red pill, but I would be too much of a coward to do the right thing, so I would decide to take the easy road out. I can’t tell you right now in my life what my decision will be.

    Leah Cenko

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  18. A red pill that leads to truth and a blue pill that leads back to what I know are presented to me. What do I do? I ask my self some questions: Where do I go if I take the red? Is my life that bad off where I would want to possibly leave it? Am I curious enough to know all the deep, dark secrets? What is truth to me?

    The first question, Where do I go if I take the red?, is an interesting question that I could never know when first presented with the pill. I would have no clue that my destiny was to save the earth a century in the future from the brutal rule of A.I. I would only know that it leads to the “truth.” For all I know I could stay where I am and just have Morpheus tell me lots of answers or I could leave everything I know behind forever.

    The second question, is my life that bad off where I would want to possibly leave it?, is easy. No. My life has had its ups and downs but I don’t think I would want to leave everything behind. I like some of what I know but have also had to deal with some very harsh realities that have caused me to look at life realistically and not through the rose colored glasses that so many people wear. I know lots of truths and don’t know that I would want to leave my life for more.

    The third question, Am I curious enough to know all the deep, dark secrets?, is very hard. I am torn on answering this question. I am very curious to know if the life I am living is a complete lie but I also am fairly content with the whole, ignorance is bliss thing.

    The last question, What is truth to me?, is simple. Truth, to me, is what I believe is real and what is not. It is what I accept as truth and nothing else. If I choose to have answers given to me that shatter former truths, then new truths are formed but they are still what I perceive to be truths.

    So to answer the big question, the red or the blue, I don’t really know. I can’t swallow a pill anyway so it doesn’t really matter but just for the hell of this philosophical cyber-discussion, I’d choose the blue pill.

    -Henry Moss

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  19. Just in addition to my previous post, I had mixed up the red and the blue pill. Just to clarify.

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  20. In truth, it really depends on how awful your own truth is. If your reality is so excruciatingly dull or if you have nothing to look forward to, then you might want to take the red pill. As for me, I would probably take the blue pill. I’m content with my life as it is right now. Sure I have a lot of stress with college applications and school work and sports, but I still live a very pleasant life. Sometimes I may not be happy with my life, but that’s just the mood that I am in at that point in time. Moods pass. But, unlike moods, your life can sometimes take a turn for the worse and continue down that slippery slope of pain and despair, without any stops along the way. I would however have a hard time dealing with that aspect of not know; what my life could have been. Taking the red pill, for me, signifies adventure (one that is not necessarily good). The blue pill signifies your life unchanged, but with the anxiety of that mysterious man who offer to alter your life completely. Nothing really is guaranteed in life, except that of change.

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  21. As Socrates said “an unexamined life is not worth living.” Meaning we must constantly search for the truth and experience the essence of the process to understand the knowledge that we posses. The possibility of a “red or blue pill” to determine the outcome of our existence, poses numerous questions as to why we are given the choice. If I chose the red pill to find the truth, what would I do with that knowledge? I would automatically change the outcome of events because I would not understand the process that brought me to that end. If I chose the blue pill to render the representation of ignorance, I would embrace and learn from the experiences. The symbolism of the color red and blue also raises a very simple question and the association to those colors that we all understand. A stop sign, fire and danger are red and the calmness of the sky, the tranquility of the ocean is blue. In the movie “The Matrix” Neo truly did not have a choice. He was driven by one ultimate goal…one man, one pill…change the world! I am not in that position so I would take the blue pill. As uncertain and scary the future can be I would rather live it and experience everything that is given to me.

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  22. All of you make some excellent points in your comments for blog #2. Kristen mentioned that all of our desire to take the red pill might be comparable to how content we are w/ our life. That idea resonated w/ me - I can't imagine leaving my wife and daughter and the rest of my family behind in the search for a higher power. In some way, I would be replicating what my father had done when he left my family when I was five. In another way, I would look at it as being incredibly selfish. On the other hand, the driving curiosity in me is like a force, for lack of a better term, a force of nature it seems at times, that is hard to control.

    Patrick questioned Morpheus' motives, yet Neo doesn't. Either he knows more about Morpheus than we do, or he is naive, or he implicitly trusts Morpheus. Heck, he almost fell off a skyscraper for the mystery man.

    I also wonder if the comments would have been different if we HADN'T discussed this before blogging. Many more of you are torn by the choice than the previous class. But then again, 2 classes do not a scientific study make (talk like Yoda I will).

    Rachael's comparison of choosing the pill to falling in love, IMHO, is a good one. It's a leap of faith that we take in choosing one person to love above everyone else, b/c we can be hurt by the rejection or death (or even the paralysis of NOT choosing!).

    August should go to work for pro-choice groups after reading his impassioned comment - "I would die for the right to choose" - all kidding aside, nice job.

    Michael, I wondered if you considered if the truth that you'd find - and the world you'd find -might even be more boring than this one. What if we're SIMS in some futuristic lazy, sedentary society where (to poach a phrase) brains sit around in pickle jars manipulating us as entertainment? Is that still existence? Conscienceness?

    Also, despite what Adrienne might have said about taking the red pill as being a way (the only way) to relieve yourself of your bored existence, I think people would take the "vermillion" pill for other reasons as we've read here.

    Danger and adventure await in the Matrix, but we, as the audience, have the benefit of knowing that. Can you change the world with the truth, as Susan asks? Who knows? Lastly, what's wrong with being a human battery? Some of you are o.k. with that, and if you're cool w/ that, I'm o.k. w/ that.

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  23. I would most definitely take the red pill because of simple reason of curiosity, and seeking truth. Depression and the truth obviously have a correlation, but my perspective strongly stands by the truth. The blue pill will allow you to experience fake things, but at a pleasurable extent. I have grown up to wonder and think greatly, to question. So no matter how much I forget, I in essence, question and want to learn, no matter the limitations. The wonderland of the blue pill holds limits, and blinded fake living. The red pill allows me to learn of the truth, which can in turn allow me to release and help others. My life I had wanted to help and support others anyway I can, and in knowing the truth it gives me responsibility, truth, answers, help, knowledge and more beyond. Regardless of what the truth is, no matter how twisted or painful, I believe I want to see, not with my 5 senses, but with my mind. I am a firm believer of the neutral and real world, and not deception. With truth power can come, no matter how horrid. And lastly, with wisdom, knowledge and truth, comes great power.

    Dmitry

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  24. I would take the red pill and discover the truth. I sometimes feel that even the world we live in today is just a cover, a distraction from something that is really going on. All the politics, technology, wars, movies, everything is just a distraction from the truth. It is an extravagant thing to believe, but i for sure wonder sometimes. There is a reason everything fits so perfectly together in this world and I think there is something else out there. Even if you are risking losing everything by taking the red pill, i think the truth is out there. I also believe in fate and I think it only takes you so far, and then decisions are up to you to choose your path. I feel i would live forever in wonder if i did not take the red pill. If the situation arose, and I had the ultimatum of choosing between them i feel as if there is a reason i was brought there, whether or not Neo was the one, something had brought him to that point. This question really gets at what the person believes. Some people obviously would enjoy living in ignorance and be fine knowing there is something else out there. Other people are not okay with that at all, like myself. Those feelings i believe are somewhat innate, there is a reason we feel curious and want to know the truth. Personally I always find myself asking why, I dislike vague answers and can only learn through experience. That is why I think Morpheus did not tell Neo all the details right at once, because it is up to him if he wants to experience what he has been looking for, it is not up to anyone convincing him to take one pill or another.

    -Lori B

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  25. mark Young 5th hour

    If asked whether I would take the red pill or the blue pill I would respond that I would take the red one without a doubt, and I believe that most people would do the same. I believe this because the two major aspects into the processes of human desicion making are curiousity and fear. Curiousity being the desire of learning the unknown and fear being the irrational panic of the unknown. These two things are exactly opposite and all decisions are the effect of which emotion is stronger at the moment. What effects this balance between fear and curiousity is based upon the nature of the person, the percieved danger of the action itself, and the preconception of what the actions outcome might be. Without any idea of the implications and dangers of the red pill I believe that almost all people would choose the red pill and the chance for learning the truth.

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  26. At first when thinking about this, I thought that I was content with knowing the truth I already know. But then I realized that if I were in the situation of someone telling me that I am the “chosen one” and I am able to find out the actual truth of life, then I think I would feel differently. If I were the apparent “chosen one” I would take the blue pill and remain in the matrix. If I did happen to take the red pill, I know I would regret it. Another reason is that I’m almost one hundred percent positive that if I did return back to my normal life, that I wouldn’t, or no one else would have figured out the truth during my lifetime.
    Even if I knew that I could possibly die if I stayed in the matrix, I would still stick with my decision. I feel like it’s always a possibility that someone can be killed in the “real world” anyway. Plus, in the matrix, the chance of being killed isn’t definite. There is a possibility of me finding out the truth before getting killed. I know personally, I’d be more satisfied with myself risking my safety and learning the truth, than playing it safe and never knowing the truth.
    -Stephanie

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