Do I really want to take the red pill if a Tango Matrix exists, and deeper truth is to be found?   Ulysses led me to believe that knowing more of what really goes on in Tango offers fierce realizations that could eliminate a large portion of joy from Tango.

In response to my entry, The Tango Matrix Part 1- Red Pill, one of my friends e-mailed me- “yeah, I hear you but I just think, screw it – let’s dance.”  I interpret this statement as a recommendation on taking the blue pill.  After all, dancing Tango is bliss so why try to understand it?  Is ignorance bliss?  In the movie Matrix, being unaware and living in its modern civilization (being unaware of the matrix – ignorance is bliss) seems hugely more appealing than the alternative of living in the apocalyptic world of bland goop for food, no sun, living underground, and being mercilessly hunted by machines.

However, in taking the red pill one gains freedom from the Matrix, and thereby gains choices based on deeper truth, not illusion.  Is life better when one makes choices based on deeper truth?  My question remains- will the quality of my experience in Tango and life be increased significantly to offset the potential costs of taking the red pill?  Perhaps this question comes down to a cost/ benefit conversation.

Historically, I have gone for deeper truth in several areas of life.  When I say deeper truth, I do not mean THE truth!  I don’t believe it is possible for THE TRUTH to exist.  However, I believe deeper truth involves gaining a greater complexity and thereby simplicity, accuracy of information, explanation, relation, organicity, and  growing evolution of whatever I pursue deeper truth in.

Here is a simple example of deeper truth- for 9 months I sold T.V.’s among other electronics.  I questioned almost everyone- what was the best T.V.?  I reviewed Consumer Reports, read other information, and interviewed repair personnel in the company I worked for (they repaired T.V.’s).  I discovered the following:

• Useful selection criteria, and the practicality of the selection criteria such as how bright the white truly is, and how much of a difference it really makes
• Actual data on reliability of the major brands for different years and models
• I became the person with the most information and possibility to answer the question in depth – my peers came to me when they wanted to buy a T.V. themselves  - they did not buy what they were pedaling to customers
• Management and most personnel knew the “answer” to be – whatever makes you the most money and what is in stock AND the management told me this was THE answer!
• And the most important realizations- I experimented and found:
  • almost every customer did not care for the answer (did not want the truth), but really wanted an illusion of a good T.V. and what they could take home immediately (what was in stock)
  • I sold the least when I told customers the truth, for they would not want to process the information and usually walked away confused
  • I sold the most by uncovering the customer’s illusion of what they thought a good T.V. was (NOT facts/ data/ great selection criteria/ actual reliability) and then selling that illusion

My desire to uncover deeper truth in other areas of life (time management/ nutrition/ finding one’s purpose/ sex/ creating a career) has led to similar results where: I discover great selection criteria; useful data; became knowledgeable on the researched subject; and most importantly, that many people did not really want deeper truth, but some illusion of what truth they imagined and therefore wanted to see!

Worst of all, usually when people started to receive deeper truth, I witnessed the following:

• Denial with a good rationale for the denial – too much info, not important, doesn’t make sense
• Whatever they were asking about they lost some good measure of interest in- a person, a hobby, an industry, a job, a question
• Shooting the messenger, which took various forms- disliking, hating, gossiping, not returning communications, etc.

Therefore I realize that pursuing deeper truth around Tango presents hazards.  But what are the benefits?

I e-mailed Ulysses (not his real name – he wants to remain anonymous) and asked what benefits show up in taking the red pill.  What he sent back elicited two responses: he delighted me with an opportunity to find things out for myself; and floored me with the brilliance and simplicity of his proposal:

“At your upcoming festival do these two things, and open your eyes to what you see.”