Why isn't Morpheus the one?

I must apologize for getting this post out so late. It seems I must take some time to intentionally rekindle my passion for writing. I have gotten caught up in the logistics side of the book (which is almost done, by the way,) along with the stress of life itself. I have been thrown off of my routine and it is slowly tearing me apart. But being pushed to make continual effort for that which is most important to you is what creates a genuine passion. 

Wow, that was a mouthful! You ever do that thing where you watch a movie, sitcom, or comedian enough and start to talk like a certain character? Yeeaaah, I think I might have accidentally gotten sucked into the matrix. Oops. 

But I have a train of thought that I’d like to follow. It’s about the character of Morpheus. Morpheus is the backbone of the matrix movies. Early on, he’s the mythical figure that Neo has to meet to escape the matrix. He’s the legendary teacher that opens all the doors for Neo to become the one. But I can’t stop asking myself: if he knows about all these doors, why isn’t he walking through them? If he knows so much about what it takes to become the one, why hasn’t morpheus become the one, himself? 

The only answer that makes sense to me is to argue that the master and the teacher are two different roles. The teacher understands the big picture. He understands the world around him through the powers of his mind. He “gets” life by stepping back to watch it all unfold. He doesn’t necessarily need to do it all himself because he can see what others do and observe them. 

But wait–Morpheus doesn’t exactly have an army of chosen ones around to observe, now does he? How did he seem to know so much about something that he has never observed? Well, he doesn’t exactly have any chosen ones, but he has the idea of freedom in place. He, himself is free, and he understands his freedom well enough to be able to give that same gift to others. In short, a teacher is someone who says “if you take these ideas and run with them, the sky’s the limit.” 

That doesn’t mean that the master is dumb, though. A master understands things through the language of doing. He knows how to take all that he knows and put it into action. The difference is that a master may or may not be able to fully explain how things work. He simply knows how to get the job done. 

As the movies progress, we begin to see something interesting: both styles can be leaders in their own rights. Morpheus continues to be a guiding figure long after Neo becomes sci-fi superman. His understanding of the world around him continues to play a pivotal role long after Neo surpasses him in power. 

But Neo becomes a kind of leader as well. The more time passes, the more people want to stand behind him. They want to be in his presence and to get as much from him as they can. What’s interesting to me is that no matter how much anyone tries to do as he does, no one can become another Neo. No one else can truly become another chosen one. 

The difference in leadership is where they lead from. Morpheus plays a role as pivotal as Neo’s, but his is, well, more of a support role. Sure, everyone loves and respects him, but in a way, it’s because of the person that he has helped them become. He creates a brightly burning bonfire by lighting thousands of small candles one at a time. He helps by guiding people along their own paths and showing them their own way forward. 

Neo, on the other hand, is more like the sun. He lights up an entire room on his own with a light that’s so inspiring that everyone is drawn to it. He’s a little more distant than Morpheus, but the things he has done, and can do, get people excited wherever word of him spreads. Neo is a master at doing, though he may not always know how to explain it. 

Here’s another way that I like to think about the difference between these two: it’s the difference between a rockstar and a guitar teacher. Obviously, the teacher teaches the instrument. But a good teacher doesn’t just say “here, play these chords and have a nice day.” Nah, he sits the student down and shows them the notes that make up the strings. He shows them the theory of scales and how to play them. He goes far beyond showing him the chords, but demonstrates the notes that they are made of. He talks about all the habits you should, as well as shouldn’t, build. He passes on all this knowledge and says “the more you understand these ideas, the further you will go.”The rockstar takes the understanding of the teacher and runs with it. He gets to know the chords and plays with them. A lot. A teacher might play from time to time, but a rockstar does nothing but play. He takes to the business of doing. He may forget what notes it takes to make a chord, but he can most certainly string them into a tune. And when he does, oh boy, does he make music! Everything he touches turns to gold, and his inspiration feels like it came straight from heaven itself! 

I find this difference to be inspiring because I have never felt like the king of competence. In some ways, I’m far less of a doer, but more of an observer. I’m that guy that’s happy to sit in the corner and watch as everyone has a good time. You can learn a lot about someone by watching them when you aren’t talking to them. Honestly, I have often felt like it’s the only way to get to know people. Talking to them myself means focusing on what I have to say, along with sharing about myself, and all the in’s and out’s of holding a conversation. No, the best time to get to know someone is when you aren’t bogged down by the need to interact with them yourself. 

Others, on the other hand, prefer to jump into life’s deep ends. Trial and error is the name of their game, and they have mastered their craft. They jump into projects and goals and dreams and never stop moving till the day they die. They gain a lot of wisdom along the way by making mistakes and watching those around them make them too. But the only way that they truly care to learn is by being in the thick of things. And what they learn truly does stick for the rest of their lives.

I’m not saying that this divide is always crystal-clear. There are a lot of highly knowledgeable teachers that are busy with the in’s and out’s of life, and masters that know what they’re talking about. I wanted to separate these two factors to encourage those who feel like they have one without the other. Maybe you’re like me, and you feel like you understand a lot of stuff, but that it’s locked away in your brain. Maybe you feel like you’re useless to the world because you have all these ideas that you can’t do anything with. I want you to shift your perspective. Maybe you’re a real-life Morpheus, waiting to help a Neo find his inner power. Maybe you were meant to change one life so that they could go change the world. 

Or maybe you’re a Neo, but don’t know why. Maybe you’re good at something without understanding it. That’s cool too. Your light shines just by using the talents that you have been given, so use them well. If you can make things happen over and over and you don’t know why, keep on rocking! Have a good laugh at us thinkers as we drive ourselves nuts trying to understand you. But don’t beat yourself up because of something that you’re not.

It’s also true that both sides need each other. Good doing helps good understanding, and visa-versa. One can not exist without the other, but one will come far more naturally to you than the other. So take time to figure out which comes naturally to you, to celebrate where your power has brought you, then to focus on improving the side that’s a struggle. Progress will feel like wading through a sea of molasses, but you will see results eventually. And, at the end of the day, you will become a more powerful force for good in the world around you. Until Next Time

May Peace be your Guide.