The Matrix Conspiracy - Part 1

The Matrix Conspiracy is the outbreak of a culture of self-assertion, where the classical deadly sins have been turned into virtues. It is a mixture of postmodern intellectualism, management theory, self-help and New Age, which is creating a “me-me-me-and-then-perhaps-you-if-it-serves-me-logic”, and a spirituality, where the object of worship is the ego. It is a culture, where everything is psychologized, emotionalized and therapized, so that political incitation and social responsibility are removed by disguising social problems as personal problems. It is a culture where moral values only are based on what feels good. It is a culture of suspicion, that denies and renounce what people think, and the reasons they produce, in order to find the “real” reasons. It is a culture, where debate is about playing down or directly offending other people. It is a culture, where science and critical thinking have been replaced by magical thinking (you can create yourself and the world as it fit you). But it is also a culture (though it on the surface sounds individualistic), which is about to develop into a global, totalitarian meritocracy, where psychology is controlling people down to the smallest details. This might happen when Western Consumer Capitalism and Chinese Communism in all probability will melt together.

The Matrix Conspiracy is the outbreak of a culture of self-assertion, where the classical deadly sins have been turned into virtues. It is a mixture of postmodern intellectualism, management theory, self-help and New Age, which is creating a “me-me-me-and-then-perhaps-you-if-it-serves-me-logic”, and a spirituality, where the object of worship is the ego. It is a culture, where everything is psychologized, emotionalized and therapized, so that political incitation and social responsibility are removed by disguising social problems as personal problems. It is a culture where moral values only are based on what feels good. It is a culture of suspicion, that denies and renounce what people think, and the reasons they produce, in order to find the “real” reasons. It is a culture, where debate is about playing down or directly offending other people. It is a culture, where science and critical thinking have been replaced by magical thinking (you can create yourself and the world as it fit you). But it is also a culture (though it on the surface sounds individualistic), which is about to develop into a global, totalitarian meritocracy, where psychology is controlling people down to the smallest details. This might happen when Western Consumer Capitalism and Chinese Communism in all probability will melt together.

Morten Tolboll holds an MA in philosophy, and a minor in psychology. He has practiced yoga and meditation since 1985, and during this period he has developed the concept of Meditation as an Art of Life. Today he travels around in the world as a Philosophical Globetrotter, Life Artist and Idler. When he isn´t traveling, he lives in Rold Forest, Denmark, where he is meditating, fi shing and foraging. In the woods he also offers philosophical counseling and cafés. This happens in connection with hiking or other events. He also offers philosophical counseling and cafés in the virtual world Second Life. His way of living is based on Gift Economy.