Neo's choices

Taking the red pill was not really the first choice Neo makes in M1. The first choice he makes is to not take the scaffold to the roof. He is therefore taken by the agents.

When Smith has him in the interrogation room, Smith gives Neo a choice. Smith says, ". It seems that you've been living two lives. In one life, you're Thomas A. Anderson, program writer for a respectable software company, you have a social security number, you pay your taxes, and you help your landlady carry out her garbage. The other life is lived in computers, where you go by the hacker alias Neo and are guilty of virtually every computer crime we have a law for. One of these lives has a future, and one of them does not."

Most of M1 is spent with Neo on the fence relative to which he is (Anderson or Neo). For instance when he sees the Oracle in her kitchen, the following scene transpires:

The Oracle: But you already know what I'm going to tell you.
Neo: I'm not The One.
Oracle: Sorry, kid. You got the gift, but it looks like you're waiting for something.
Neo: What?
The Oracle: Your next life maybe, who knows? That's the way these things go.

See how she works? She does not tell him he isn't the One. She actually tells him he has "the gift". But most importantly she observes that he is waiting for something.

What is he waiting for? He is probably waiting for the thing we all wait for. We look for someone else to take responsibility because it is too hard for us to do it for ourselves. Anderson is really hoping that someone else is the One.

It is not until the subway scene when he decides to take on Smith that he finally realizes the truth and makes the decision:

Agent Smith: Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability. That is the sound of your death. Goodbye, Mr. Anderson.
Neo: My name is Neo.

And so the choice is finally made...

G.A.O.T.U.

excellent observations, especially about the Oracle...I thought the same thing about her. she tells you exactly what you need to hear at that moment...for him, it was to know he had the gift and that he was waiting...he was still unsure of himself. she also knew that he cared for morpheus and used that as part of what he needed to hear so that he could believe in himself and become the one. same goes for trinity...she was told she'd fall in love with the ONE and sure enough, after she told him she loved him, he accepted it and believed it.

hmm yea u never no

Originally posted by G.A.O.T.U.
What is he waiting for? He is probably waiting for the thing we all wait for. We look for someone else to take responsibility because it is too hard for us to do it for ourselves. Anderson is really hoping that someone else is the One.

I agree with you except for this one paragraph. It definitely is very difficult to take such a serious responsibility but that is only part of the reason. Thomas Anderson doesn’t want to be the One because he doesn’t believe in fate. When he accepts that he is the One he must accept that there is a destiny for him and he has to follow only this particular path. It seems to me that Neo still don’t like the idea of fate. It looks like he is pretty angry that Oracle can predict his every step.

true

In M2 Neo is giving the Oracle a look while questioning whether or not she knows if he will take the candy or not.

I think Neo won't realize until M3 that he has a choice, even if someone know what he will choose.

he didnt choose the life, it chose him

"you've already made your descision, your here to find out why you masde it"

He has always been the one. it was just a matter of time before he relised it.

And became the one when trinity brought him back to life with the decleration of her love!!!

When he told Smith his name was Neo all he was doing was reminding smith that he's no longer Mr Anderson the man who take sout his land ladies garbage!

No he didn't choose his life anymore than he choose to be male. However, he did choose to save Morpheus rather than watch Tank pull the plug.

I'm just saying that I agree with Morpheus....it's all about choice. In Neo's case, being the One gives him MORE choices.

and more responsibilty

Nice thread G.A.O.T.U. But isn't Neo's first choice to follow the rabbit?

Not really...his first choice was to research that something wasn't right with the world, then to look at the screen typing on its own, THEN to answer the door, THEN AGAIN to tell Troy how he was feeling, and finally to follow the rabbit....

"the problem is with choice" - neo

After talking to the archutect!

Everything can almost be predicted in the matrix (or the oracle wouldnt exsist). So is choice just an illusion put to us to make us feel as if we have control of our lives?

This questions been put forward on this bored before. but we seem content on going aroudn in circles lol!

Well, I don't want to start another circle of thought.

It seems that the machines and humans are at a stalemate. No choice means complete machine control but, no VAST human crops. Choice means limited control over VAST human crops, freedom fighters and the One who can change it all!