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Why Go On When Life Is Meaningless?

Mon, Dec 18, 2006

Attitude Adjustment

I was re-watching The Matrix Revolutions the other day during a nice little party with my friends.

We were just finishing the chicken wings when we got to this scene near the end of the movie (spoiler alert if you haven’t already seen it!). I loved it because it highlights the key to the question; why go on if you feel life is meaningless?

Agent Smith: Why, Mr. Anderson, why? Why, why do you do it? Why, why get up? Why keep fighting?

Do you believe you’re fighting for something, for more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is, do you even know? Is it freedom or truth, perhaps peace - could it be for love?

Illusions, Mr. Anderson, vagaries of perception. Temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself. Although, only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love.

You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson, you must know it by now! You can’t win, it’s pointless to keep fighting! Why, Mr. Anderson, why, why do you persist?

Neo: Because I choose to.

A simple answer, but what more do you need?

This post was written by:

Alvin Soon - who has written 457 posts on Life Coaches Blog.

Alvin is the founder of Life Coaches Blog and has been a coach for individuals and personal development seminars. He now writes full-time.

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9 Comments For This Post

  1. fourthdan Says:

    nice! :)

  2. Alvin Soon Says:

    It is, isn’t it? :)

  3. justin Says:

    well that seemed like an easy way to talk you into living.
    i wish it were that easy for me.

  4. thewhitespace Says:

    it’s the movies. one liners are staple diet.

  5. J. Random Hacker Says:

    What else? How about an answer to the question that’s not so glib it makes you want to spew your guts up? How about an answer that actually addresses the question, rather than eliding it with sophistry?

  6. Alvin Soon Says:

    What’s your answer, J.Random Hacker?

  7. yep Says:

    Well, as you see, there is no answer to the meaning of life. Neo’s crappy answer just further confirms Smith’s words “Temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose.”.

    Oh an by the way, it’s just a stupid movie.

  8. EsotericSoldier Says:

    I guess some will choose to keep going hopeing things will get better, but I don’t think everyone is to be so lucky. Everyone even the most sucidial want to live, but sometimes I think are enviroment just fails to provide us with what were looking for to keep going.

  9. LostSoul Says:

    There’s no meaning in life..if there is, there’s no evil nor goodness..

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