02/19/2026
Are We Really Living in a Matrix?
I used to hear people talk about “the matrix” and honestly… it went over my head. I didn’t fully get it. I thought it was just one of those deep internet phrases people threw around to sound enlightened.
But now?
I see it.
I see exactly what they mean.
Think about it.
The average person thinks about 80% of the same thoughts every single day. Same worries. Same routines. Same responsibilities. Same mental loops. And it made me pause and ask myself — where are these thoughts even coming from?
Most of them aren’t original.
They’re shaped by what’s constantly in front of us. The environments we sit in. The people we engage with. The expectations placed on us. The bills. The deadlines. The trauma. The accomplishments. The joys. The disappointments.
The Bible would call it “worldly.”
I’m starting to see it as programmed.
Our daily experiences build a system inside our subconscious. A structure. A pattern. A rhythm. And once that rhythm is set, it quietly controls how we perceive, react, prioritize, and move.
That’s the matrix.
And here’s what made it click for me.
A friend recently asked why I’ve been distant. I couldn’t find some deep, dramatic explanation. The only words that came out were, “life be lifeing.”
And that was the truth.
My health.
Maintaining a structured, peaceful home.
Raising happy, healthy kids.
Showing up productive at work.
That alone has consumed every mental ounce I’ve had lately.
So when someone says, “You’ve been distant,” it’s not personal. It’s capacity.
My matrix has been full.
And when your internal system is overloaded, something gets pushed to the back burner. Not because it’s unimportant. Not because you don’t care. But because your subconscious is prioritizing survival, stability, responsibility.
That realization softened me.
Because now I see — everyone is operating inside their own matrix. Their own mental grid of responsibilities, stressors, healing, dreams, and obligations.
So yes, check on your friends.
But check on them with grace.
Take yourself out of their equation for a second. Their distance may not be about you. Their silence may not be rejection. Their delay may not be disregard.
We all have our own systems we’re trying to maintain. Our own problems to solve. Our own mental tabs open.
Grace costs nothing.
But it can save relationships.
And maybe the real way to “escape the matrix” isn’t disappearing from society — maybe it’s becoming conscious of it.
Becoming aware of what’s consuming you.
And choosing compassion anyway.
— Guided by Eboni ✨
