In this blog post, we explore what choices we must make at the boundary between the real and virtual worlds.
Reasons to Choose Reality
In the past, sending a letter to someone in another country could take at least several months to arrive. But what about the world we live in today? Sending a letter to someone takes less than a minute. You can even send a letter to someone in another country instantly. This is because electronic mail, or e-mail, was developed.
Like this, science and technology have advanced rapidly in modern times. As a result, our lives are organized far more efficiently than in the past, and the process of living has become more convenient. However, every matter inevitably has both advantages and disadvantages. Looking around, we can see that the advancement of science and technology has not brought only positive effects. Various problems have arisen, ranging from serious issues like the development of weapons of mass destruction for war preparedness to relatively minor ones like a lack of interpersonal interaction.
Among these issues, however, one topic is far more controversial: the relationship between the virtual world and the real world. Environments where one can experience virtual worlds, like in the movie The Matrix, have indeed emerged, and research related to virtual worlds is actively progressing. Here, we must ask ourselves: Should we remain in the real world as vegetative beings and enter the virtual world? Or should we stay in the real world and live diligently every day? My choice is the latter.
Next, I will address why I choose the real world over the virtual one. I will also examine the arguments from a perspective that might advocate choosing the virtual world and the grounds for criticizing that stance.
The Risk of Mental Confusion
Imagine a situation where you must choose between the virtual world and the real world. The biggest problem here is mental confusion. If someone who has lived in a virtual world realizes that the world they inhabited was not real, they would likely feel that their entire life up to that point was meaningless. This would lead to an immense sense of futility. Furthermore, there is a high probability that doubt would arise, questioning whether even the real world itself could be virtual. This confusion could persist, akin to the structure of a ‘Dream within a Dream’ scenario.
Before considering mental confusion, let’s think about physical changes. We know what happens when our bodies undergo sudden changes. Even relatively minor shifts, like seasonal transitions, cause many people to suffer from colds, while extreme changes, like an ice age, have led to massive loss of life. The body has adapted to such changes with the help of mental processes like hormones. Yet change is always painful. What then, if the mind undergoes a sudden change before the body even senses it? Could one truly maintain the mental composure to choose between a virtual world and reality, like the protagonist ‘Neo’ in The Matrix? The answer is ‘no’. In reality, faced with such a situation, most people would likely be engulfed in mental chaos.
The Instability of the Virtual World
Next, there is the systemic instability of the virtual world. As depicted in The Matrix, the virtual world is a space created by computer programs. The universe we currently inhabit possesses such a perfect system that it is often considered either designed by a divine entity or naturally born from scientific principles. In contrast, the virtual world is an artificial system created by humans or machines. This implies that the virtual world is imperfect and may contain flaws, such as system errors. If a serious error occurs, it could affect not only the virtual world but also people in the real world.
Some argue that the real world is actually more dangerous. The movie The Matrix also presents the logic that while people in the real world are always prepared to fight against machine civilization, those in the virtual world are unaware of this danger. However, from the perspective of free will, the real world may actually be the safer choice. This is because people who choose the real world can take various actions, such as resisting or fleeing from machine civilization, by their own will, whereas those in the virtual world remain in a vegetative state in the real world and cannot respond to external threats.
If machines were to switch to other energy sources, the virtual world would likely be abandoned. This could lead not only to the destruction of the virtual world but also to the deaths of the vegetative individuals in the real world.
Differences in Development Potential
Finally, let’s compare the development potential of the virtual world and the real world. Humans have evolved and adapted to external threats and internal problems over a long period, developing into modern civilization. This development was possible because humans were rooted in the real world. However, if everyone chooses to live solely in the virtual world, the real world would cease to develop and stagnate. This outcome would diminish the meaning of human existence and could ultimately lead to the disappearance of humanity. If humans vanish, Earth would simply become an ordinary planet. This conclusion renders the question of choosing between the virtual and real worlds moot.
Conclusion
We have discussed the reasons for choosing the real world over the virtual world. Three aspects were presented as grounds: mental confusion, systemic instability, and potential for development. Of course, many works, like the movie The Matrix, depict the virtual world as an intriguing concept, and with advances in science and technology, the virtual world has a high potential to become reality. If many people utilize the virtual world, it could become as important as the real world.
However, even in this scenario, we must not forget the importance of the real world. The foundation of human life still lies in the real world. If this foundation is shaken, human nature risks disappearing. This means both the virtual and real worlds could stagnate rather than progress.
In conclusion, I believe the virtual world should exist as a supplementary form, not as a replacement for the real world. Rather than seeking vicarious satisfaction in the virtual world, I believe a life spent overcoming human limitations and developing in reality holds greater value. I conclude this piece hoping for a real world that renders the virtual world unnecessary.
