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?
December 18th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
nice!
December 18th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
It is, isn’t it?
January 17th, 2007 at 2:31 am
well that seemed like an easy way to talk you into living.
i wish it were that easy for me.
December 17th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
it’s the movies. one liners are staple diet.
July 26th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
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?
July 27th, 2008 at 11:00 am
What’s your answer, J.Random Hacker?
August 5th, 2008 at 6:31 am
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.
September 16th, 2008 at 3:08 am
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.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:29 am
There’s no meaning in life..if there is, there’s no evil nor goodness..