Exit Essay 8

Exit Essay 8

The matrix is a film that has been analyzed by philosophers and is based heavily on “The Allegory of the Cave”. In a Book about the Matrix, one of the chapters relates the matrix to what makes people happy. A philosopher by the name of Griswald interprets the matrix and connects it to the world we live in today and goes on to explain to the audience that the things that make us happy can considerably be labeled as an illusion. Nevertheless, some of the ideas that Griswald argues are deeply connected with the thought of happiness being all in ones mind.
Griswald's main arguments are about how people find happiness based on things that don't have to be real; just what the mind can comprehend to make them feel happy. He gives examples about if a celebrity were to ask someone on a date and it really wasn't the actual celebrity but someone who was pretending to be this person and was really convincing. To that person who thinks he or she is being asked to go out on a date, is really happy because they think that this person is really interested in them. But what they don't know is that it’s not the real person and Griswald asks the reader the question “is this happiness? Even though it isn't the truth?” He Also says that being happy is being content, which I agree with. If you’re content about your lifestyle and you move along everyday with out a worry then you should be happy since you have nothing to stress about.
What happiness means to me is pretty much what Griswald sums up for us about happiness being a matter of being Content. I live a normal life where I don't do much but go to school and hangout with friends, but I'm fine with that so I guess I'm happy because I have yet to complain. But something that would be a desired form of happiness for me would be to be rich and wealthy with a big house and many cars. Would that be an illusion though? Perhaps, but my ignorance of what it would really be like can make that form of happiness an illusion. For example, if I were to become incredibly successful and still not find happiness with the things I listed above that would make me happier, then my new goals to achieve happiness would increase and I would have to base my happiness on an illusion of a higher power as my desires only get bigger to meet my needs towards achieving happiness.
If Morpheus were to come to me as he came to Neo, I would think that he’s on drugs, so I wouldn't care what he has to say and go back to living my normal life because like Cypher said “ignorance is bliss”. Which in a way puts me where Cypher wants to be; plugged into the matrix and living in a fake reality because to him that’s were he felt the happiest. If I really did have to choose a pill red or blue, blue leaving me inside the matrix and red taking me into the real world, I think I would choose blue. Reason being, that I don’t share the same desires as Neo did in the movie. I don’t feel like there’s something out there and even if there were to be I really don’t care. On top of that, I think leaving the matrix that you grew up in and lived your whole life would be hard. In the matrix you have fake family and friends that even thought they supposedly aren’t real have been there for you your entire life.
In conclusion, I think that the best way to summarize what Griswald is trying to say about happiness is with the quote “ignorance is bliss”. Being ignorant is not knowing and being blissful is being happy. The combination of ignorance and being blissful goes to say that people can be happy where ever they are and don’t have valid reasons as to why these things really make them happy.