Red pill or blue pill image made with generative AI (Courtesy of Sebastián Hernández)
This piece is from the CU Independent’s opinion section. Any opinions or views do not represent the CU Independent.
The ability to understand and express complex information defines humankind. We can seek self-reflection, express our creativity, sustain different cultures and religions, and so on. These capabilities separate us from all other beings. However, this separation leaves humanity reliant on structure to evolve. Whether that be through social hierarchy or structured schooling, it’s evident that humanity cannot operate without order. That being said, it’s vital to recognize your place in the order.
Pick Your Poison
If you’re not familiar with the movie franchise “The Matrix,” I highly recommend it. More or less, these films explore the fallacy of free will in a virtual reality. In the first film, the character “Neo”, is given the choice to take a blue or red pill. Take the blue pill, and nothing changes. He will continue to live his life under a veil of ignorance, unaware of his elusive reality. Take the red pill, and everything changes. Neo, a truth seeker of sorts, opts for the latter. He soon learns that his life is not his own but a simulation controlled by super-intelligent beings. By highlighting the importance of individual responsibility, these films provide a commentary on human ignorance and weaponized incompetence.
Modernity poses a similar blue/red pill scenario for humanity. Not that we are stuck in a simulation (sorry, Descartes). Rather, in the midst of a digital age, we have access to an unprecedented amount of information. We get to choose what we consume. However, despite our freedom of choice, accessibility does not correlate with accuracy. Thus, it’s our responsibility to choose: blue pill or red pill? Take the blue pill and learn only from what you’re told. Blindly follow the teachings of institutional education and swear by the word of your favorite influencer. Or, take the red pill. Seek information on your own accord, research topics that excite you, and fact-check your feed.
A Dual-Edged Mind
The mind is both your most powerful weapon and greatest vulnerability.
A wise man once said, “There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” That wise man was Socrates, the founder of Western philosophy. He believed that one is only wise when one knows that they do not know. Stay with me now. What he means to say is that wisdom comes from examination, not from assumption. Think of a time you claimed to be right whilst being entirely wrong. That was deluded self-confidence, not wisdom. This assumed intelligence is a human’s greatest vulnerability. If we’re willing to deceive ourselves about what we know, what protects us from being deceived by others?
On the flip side, the consumption of accurate information is a human’s greatest strength. Operating on accuracy allows an individual to act rationally. Nurturing our intellect protects us from deception. Not only does this help us navigate our environment, but it just feels good to be confident in what we know. After all, the mind is a muscle. Train it enough, and it can become your most powerful weapon.
Petition to Bring Back Yearning
Too often, education is viewed as a fixed task rather than a continual pursuit. Get a degree, get a job. But this mentality undermines the importance of learning and, more importantly, yearning. Whatever happened to yearning? Education should be both instrumentally and intrinsically valuable, meaning it should serve an external purpose to the same extent it fulfills us. The reality is we’ll spend the rest of our lives learning. Every failed situationship you endure, every outfit you wear, and every book you read teaches you something about yourself and the world around you. So if learning is inevitable and unavoidable, why not enjoy it?
Contact CU Independent Writer Emily Miller at emily.miller-7@colorado.edu
