ZenRaiden
One atom of me
-
OK, it's on.
Who is the one?
- Thread starter ZenRaiden
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Black Rose
An unbreakable bond
ZenRaiden
One atom of me
nope
Cognisant
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I think being "the one" relates to the concept of enlightenment, after Neo returns from the dead his belief in the Matrix is totally shattered. He no longer sees it as it appears to be (a room, a hallway, a gun, a bullet) but rather for what it actually is, a illusion that only has power over him insofar as he believes in it. Neo stopped the bullets but in truth (and as Morpheus said) he didn't need to, there are no bullets just as there was no spoon, there is only the concept of a bullet.
Neo didn't make the bullets stop, he stopped moving them.
Now how does this literal fictional enlightenment relate to our non-fictional reality, assuming we aren't living in the Matrix ourselves what truth has been hidden from us, what illusions must we overcome?
I think there's a clue in the fact that once you find enlightenment you don't need it, once Neo became the one his conflict with Smith became irrelevant. He didn't need to defeat Smith (if anything it was a mistake) rather by becoming enlightened he had transcended Smith and there was nothing Smith could do about it. However by defeating Smith he lost that transcendence, Neo was still changed by the experience but in a moment he went from a god back down to a demi-god, still powerful but trapped within the paradigm of power and conflict.
It isn't until Smith and Neo repeat their duel and once again Neo is practically defeated by Smith that he rediscovers the truth.
Neo can't defeat Smith is because Smith is the externalized manifestation of Neo's ego, Smith is Neo's desire to win, the harder Neo fights him the more powerful Smith becomes because it is in actuality Neo who is fighting himself. Accordingly Neo defeats Smith by defeating himself, he humbly accepts defeat and allows Smith to win, thus the two become one and harmony is restored.
It's all allegorical you see, our pursuit of some kind of externally justified happiness serves only to make us miserable, to be happy you need only be happy, the now unified Smith/Neo could have returned to his office job and lived a perfectly happy mundane life. This is hinted at in the first movie with Neo happily pointing out a place he used to have noodles at, a reminder of the peaceful mundane life he had abandoned because he was driven by the desire for excitement.
Of course the ending sucked because we wanted to see Neo win and get the girl and save Zion and in general enjoy success so we could vicariously enjoy it too.
Neo didn't make the bullets stop, he stopped moving them.
Now how does this literal fictional enlightenment relate to our non-fictional reality, assuming we aren't living in the Matrix ourselves what truth has been hidden from us, what illusions must we overcome?
I think there's a clue in the fact that once you find enlightenment you don't need it, once Neo became the one his conflict with Smith became irrelevant. He didn't need to defeat Smith (if anything it was a mistake) rather by becoming enlightened he had transcended Smith and there was nothing Smith could do about it. However by defeating Smith he lost that transcendence, Neo was still changed by the experience but in a moment he went from a god back down to a demi-god, still powerful but trapped within the paradigm of power and conflict.
It isn't until Smith and Neo repeat their duel and once again Neo is practically defeated by Smith that he rediscovers the truth.
Neo can't defeat Smith is because Smith is the externalized manifestation of Neo's ego, Smith is Neo's desire to win, the harder Neo fights him the more powerful Smith becomes because it is in actuality Neo who is fighting himself. Accordingly Neo defeats Smith by defeating himself, he humbly accepts defeat and allows Smith to win, thus the two become one and harmony is restored.
It's all allegorical you see, our pursuit of some kind of externally justified happiness serves only to make us miserable, to be happy you need only be happy, the now unified Smith/Neo could have returned to his office job and lived a perfectly happy mundane life. This is hinted at in the first movie with Neo happily pointing out a place he used to have noodles at, a reminder of the peaceful mundane life he had abandoned because he was driven by the desire for excitement.
Of course the ending sucked because we wanted to see Neo win and get the girl and save Zion and in general enjoy success so we could vicariously enjoy it too.
Rook
enter text
Murdoch sexier than Neo by far, he's The One.
ZenRaiden
One atom of me
Your correct Cognisant.
I think the key here in the first place is why Matrix exists?
hmmmmmm that indeed is interesting question never asked?
Interesting fact Oracle gives Neo the cookies.
OOOO what is really going to bake your noodle. Would you have still broken the vaze have I not told you.
I think the key here in the first place is why Matrix exists?
hmmmmmm that indeed is interesting question never asked?
Interesting fact Oracle gives Neo the cookies.
OOOO what is really going to bake your noodle. Would you have still broken the vaze have I not told you.
ZenRaiden
One atom of me
Dark city is cool, but realizing they are a Alien experiment IS pretty much the punch line.
Matrix has more layers to it
Matrix has more layers to it