According to Dictionary.com, “matrix” means something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops. In that sense, each of us is always in a matrix of some sort. It’s inevitable.

Matrices are complex systems bound by a handful of “rules” that define why they exist, how they function, and what type and degree of influence they have on the behavior of those who are part of them. How those rules get determined is cause for concern as expressed in this popular Urban Dictionary definition of “matrix” which reads: a term describing a controlled environment or situation in which people act or behave in ways that conform to roles pre-determined by a powerful person(s) who decides how the world is supposed to function. In reality, though, each of us has a unique sense of the matrix in which one’s life plays out. And that view is not static. Over the course of one’s lifetime, it may change multiple times. The matrix is personal.

Although each person carries an individual perspective, many can reach a mutual understanding and even agree among themselves about the “rules” of a “social matrix” they choose to cohabit. But to do so requires active participation. Accordingly, EACH has a HUMAN RIGHT to fully participate in shaping one’s social matrix yet a PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to advance, refine, and commit to the “rules” that bound it with those who share it.