When Neo took the red pill instead of the blue pill, he chose reality over illusion, harsh truth over comfortable lies, cruel knowledge over blissful ignorance, and dangerous freedom over tranquil security. It was a tough choice, but most who have seen The Matrix would agree Neo ultimately made the right choice when he decided to wake up to reality - that choosing the red pill over the blue pill was the only moral choice.
I surmise this understanding is part of the reason why the scene has become such a popular and lasting meme in our culture and why the concept of taking the red pill has spawned an entire line of other existential and philosophical pharmaceuticals including the black pill and the God pill among others. Irrespective of the pill's color or content, people seem to enjoy getting 'pilled'; however, once they have swallowed a pill, they become addicted to taking pills and immediately begin looking around for the next one. And then the next one.
It is worth remembering that Neo took only one red pill. Many contemporary people appear to be hooked on swallowing all the pills they can. This succeeds in doing little more than promoting a prolonged lifestyle of perpetual pill popping. Some people are not merely pill takers, but are bonafide pill pushers who exude tremendous effort flooding the world with a seemingly endless supply of truth-inducing drugs. One could argue this is unavoidable. Neo's red pill was terrifyingly blunt and comprehensive. Once Neo had taken it, there was no turning back, and there certainly was no need to take any more. Our world lacks such potent pills; hence, one could argue pillers must swallow bitter truths piecemeal - one pill at a time. In this sense, each pill serves as puzzle piece, and every truth pill must be consumed for the overall picture of truth to become comprehensible.
As rational and appropriate as this sounds, I can't help but feel this represents a wrong turn. Rather than focusing on the harsh truth a given pill has exposed and working out a comprehensive understanding of how this harsh truth may be connected to other harsh truths through the process of thinking, pill poppers turn their attention instead on securing the next hit. The next high. And that's what chronic pill popping seems to produce. A rush of pill-truth is quickly followed by a desert of despondency, which can only be tolerated by another rush of pill-truth. Accessing truth quickly sinks to the level of recreational drugs.
In my estimation, chronic pill-popping breeds passivity. Impotent revolt. Bitterness and resentment. None of these help a person deal with revealed harsh truths. And that is the big question hanging over our 'pilled' culture. What does one do once one has seen the truth behind the lies?
The answer is accessible for those who have seen the Truth. Despite beliefs to the contrary, this answer does not come in pill form. The answer is simple, but requires work. A radical realignment of thinking and Being. Those blind to the Truth but addicted to truths will continue to pop pills in the hopes that one of the pills will eventually reveal all, but no pill ever will.
Which is why it is best to get off the meds and begin approaching Reality with something approximating exalted sobriety instead.
I surmise this understanding is part of the reason why the scene has become such a popular and lasting meme in our culture and why the concept of taking the red pill has spawned an entire line of other existential and philosophical pharmaceuticals including the black pill and the God pill among others. Irrespective of the pill's color or content, people seem to enjoy getting 'pilled'; however, once they have swallowed a pill, they become addicted to taking pills and immediately begin looking around for the next one. And then the next one.
It is worth remembering that Neo took only one red pill. Many contemporary people appear to be hooked on swallowing all the pills they can. This succeeds in doing little more than promoting a prolonged lifestyle of perpetual pill popping. Some people are not merely pill takers, but are bonafide pill pushers who exude tremendous effort flooding the world with a seemingly endless supply of truth-inducing drugs. One could argue this is unavoidable. Neo's red pill was terrifyingly blunt and comprehensive. Once Neo had taken it, there was no turning back, and there certainly was no need to take any more. Our world lacks such potent pills; hence, one could argue pillers must swallow bitter truths piecemeal - one pill at a time. In this sense, each pill serves as puzzle piece, and every truth pill must be consumed for the overall picture of truth to become comprehensible.
As rational and appropriate as this sounds, I can't help but feel this represents a wrong turn. Rather than focusing on the harsh truth a given pill has exposed and working out a comprehensive understanding of how this harsh truth may be connected to other harsh truths through the process of thinking, pill poppers turn their attention instead on securing the next hit. The next high. And that's what chronic pill popping seems to produce. A rush of pill-truth is quickly followed by a desert of despondency, which can only be tolerated by another rush of pill-truth. Accessing truth quickly sinks to the level of recreational drugs.
In my estimation, chronic pill-popping breeds passivity. Impotent revolt. Bitterness and resentment. None of these help a person deal with revealed harsh truths. And that is the big question hanging over our 'pilled' culture. What does one do once one has seen the truth behind the lies?
The answer is accessible for those who have seen the Truth. Despite beliefs to the contrary, this answer does not come in pill form. The answer is simple, but requires work. A radical realignment of thinking and Being. Those blind to the Truth but addicted to truths will continue to pop pills in the hopes that one of the pills will eventually reveal all, but no pill ever will.
Which is why it is best to get off the meds and begin approaching Reality with something approximating exalted sobriety instead.
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