1. If the prophecy wasn't true, then Neo isn't The One.
2. The prophecy wasn't true.
3. Neo is The One.
All three can be true, but it's not paradoxical.
The label 'The One' is not a constant.
It relies on a definition.
The definition can change with the context in which the label is applied.
The label depends on its definition, and the definition depends on the label.
Language is meaningless.
Language is useful for life.
Life is an illusion, at best.
We don't really know what 'life' means.
If I had to choose a symbol for life, I'd probably choose 'One'.
One (or 1) is a symbol for mathematical truth.
One is a symbol for wholeness, completeness, integrity.
One is not algorithmically compressible. (Hint: that's what 'random' means.)
One is an extreme. An end. It is not a matter of degree. It is a 'determination'.
I like it.
p.s. There is a case that the prophecy was true. I imagine that'd be a 'knowing the path' vs. 'walking the path' thing... Machiavelli would probably appreciate that.
p.p.s. See what sitting in the same room by yourself for a few days straight will do to you?
p.p.p.s. I swear, if I have to type the words 'entity' or 'attribute' one more friggin' time..