The Impermanence of Life

[DISCLAIMER]

*Spoilers for Tron (1982), Tron: Legacy (2010), and Tron: Ares (2025) contained herein.

The Tron Franchise

I saw Tron (1982) in childhood, though I couldn’t remember much about it aside from how the Light Cycles turned at sharp angles. Similarly, I watched Tron: Legacy (2010) upon its release, yet I couldn’t recall much about the film other than Serinda Swan’s depiction as Siren #2.

Given how forgettable the Tron franchise has been to me, I didn’t care to watch Tron: Ares (2025) when it released. In particular, I didn’t want to see how Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (“Disney”) would likely ruin any memories I’d maintained from the franchise.

Still, in the interest of daily practice regarding Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I decided to watch all three films in sequential order. When doing this, I made use of the ABC model and unconditional acceptance (UA).

REBT and Tron

First, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, not the occurrence itself, that causes an unpleasant Consequence.

I watched Tron: Ares and Disney’s presumed Reimagine Initiative that resulted in Tron not appearing in the film, women of diverse racial and ethnic composition being depicted as more powerful than men, and men playing most of the villainous or incompetent roles (Action).

For the sake of demonstration, imagine that I unhelpfully Believed, “Disney is worthless and shouldn’t ruin the Tron franchise! It’s horrible and intolerable how the company continues behaving in this way!” With that outlook, I’d understandably become angry (Consequence).

Addressing how people upset themselves with unhelpful attitudes, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unproductive philosophies of life in order to explore Effective new beliefs. Whereas rigid beliefs cause self-disturbance, flexible beliefs result in an un-disturbed condition.

The process of challenging personal philosophies of life can take longer than I care to demonstrate herein. Thus, in the interest of time imagine that instead of self-disturbing I engaged in a period of rigorous Disputation and eventually used the following Effective new belief:

Disney isn’t worthless! Even if I don’t value the company’s work within the past couple of decades, many people deem it worthwhile. Also, why shouldn’t Disney ruin the Tron franchise? Given what they’ve done to the Star Wars franchise, why would I expect any improvement?

With this consideration, it isn’t horrible or intolerable what Disney has done in Tron: Ares. Besides, I don’t have to consume any of Disney’s content. So, how about not whining about this matter? After all, I have better things to do with my time.

Second, REBT uses UA to relieve self-induced suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance (USA), unconditional other-acceptance (UOA), and unconditional life-acceptance (ULA).

Whereas the ABC model is a scientific approach to wellness, UA serves as a philosophical method for un-disturbing yourself. I view the former as an abortive approach to disturbance and the latter as a preventative method. Of course, not all REBT practitioners use the same style as I.

With my approach to REBT, I incorporate author Stephen Covey’s concepts regarding the circles of control, influence, and concern, as well as an area of no concern. UA maps onto the circle of control (USA), circle of influence (UOA), and circle of concern and area of no concern (ULA).

The circle of control encompasses only oneself, the circle of influence encapsulates elements which may be subject to one’s sway, the circle of concern engrosses most matters one can imagine, and the area of no concern relates to all content which isn’t yet imagined.

When re-watching Tron (1982), I discovered that the character Dr. Walter Gibbs issued the prophetic statement, “Computers and the programs will start thinking, and the people will stop [thinking].” This is apparently the case, given human reliance on artificial intelligence (AI).

For instance, in a post entitled Will AI Replace Psychotherapists? I considered artificial general intelligence (AGI) and said, “It’s plausible that digital mental health services could one day replace human psychotherapists, though I’m unsure how probable this proposal is at present.”

My conclusion in that blogpost related to ULA. Given that what Dr. Gibbs said has now become a probability, not mere conjecture, I contemplate what I can and cannot control or influence regarding AI and AGI, and what other forms of computers, programs, etc. may or may not do.

When re-watching Tron: Legacy (2010), I further considered ULA when Sam Flynn (son of Kevin Flynn, who essentially created the Grid construct upon which digital lifeforms exist) was faced with a decision to leave his dad in the Grid to save the last Isomorphic Algorithm.

Sam’s judgment drew the distinction between machines merely thinking for themselves and sentience (feeling or sensation as distinguished from perception and thought). Thus, when Sam transported the character Quorra (i.e., AGI) to the real world, he evidently gave humanity hope.

Provided the outcomes about which I’ve learned regarding AI and other forms of machine learning, I reserve cherishing an anticipatory desire for a better human condition since actual Quorra-esque digital beings may fundamentally alter humanity in very unpleasant ways.

For instance, I’d much rather see Serinda Swan play a character than to watch AI occupy her role. Nevertheless, this is a matter of ULA about which I have no control and miniscule influence. Therefore, I enjoy what I can while helpfully tolerating and accepting all else.

Worthy of note, my favorite electronic dance music (EDM) French house duo, Daft Punk, released Tron: Legacy Reconfigured (2011) which is a remix soundtrack for Tron: Legacy. While I enjoy the album, one song in particular is worthy of mention in the context of this post.

“Fall”, which features French electronic rock group M83 along with Big Black Delta, mixed by Daft Punk, contains the lyrics “sail on the skyway, sail off as the sun.” This is a perspective in alignment with ULA and how Sam Flynn was able to say goodbye to his dad in the Grid.

Leaving in that manner was akin to death, as neither Sam nor Quorra were featured in Tron: Ares (2025). This brings me to the final REBT outlook regarding the Tron franchise. When providing psychoeducational lessons on REBT, I invite people to concentrate on both life and death.

This is because many people apparently acknowledge the former while ignoring the latter. Yet, all living things will inescapably die. When further contemplating this matter, I’m reminded of a line from one of my favorite Atlanta hip hop duos.

On Outkast’s 1998 album Aquemini is the track “Aquemini” on which lyricist André 3000 states, “Even the sun goes down, heroes eventually die. Horoscopes often lie, and sometimes, “Y”. Nothing is for sure, nothing is for certain. Nothing lasts forever.”

In the most recent installment of Tron: Ares, filmmakers addressed this matter. Similarly, I said in a post entitled Impermanence and Uncertainty:

Impermanence is merely the quality or state of being impermanent—not permanent or transient—passing into and out of existence. All living beings are subject to impermanence, as every organic lifeform will eventually die.

Uncertainty is simply the quality or state of being uncertain—not known beyond doubt or indefinite—having no exact limits. Just as all living beings will inescapably die, life itself is filled with uncertainty. […]

When the tide of impermanence and uncertainty inevitably impacts you, how will you respond? Will you choose to self-disturb? Will you unconditionally accept what simply is? Take a moment to imagine sounds of a tide rolling across the shoreline. How will you respond?

Whereas I used imagery of a “tide rolling across the shoreline” to symbolize the impermanence of life, artists on the track “Fall” utilized the depiction of “sail[ing] on the skyway, sail[ing] off as the sun.” Yet, in Tron: Ares, the characters within the film take a more direct approach.

For context, both humans and AGI seek a computer code called “permanence” which allows digital beings on the Grid to exist in the real world for longer than 29 minutes—even though Quorra presumably lasted for years with Sam when she entered reality without the code.

In any event, for some reason, lifeforms of digital origin can last only 29 minutes outside of the Grid without the permanence code. When the character Ares finds Kevin Flynn in the Grid, as the latter provides the former with the permanence code, the following dialogue unfolds:

Ares: Permanence?

Kevin: Funny. When I found it, that’s what I called it. I know better now. Oughta be called the “impermanence code.”

There is no permanence for living beings—fleshly or digital. Once Ares is able to last longer than 29 minutes in the real world with the permanence code, he discusses with the character Eve Kim the ULA matter of impermanence, as the following dialogue unfolds:

Ares: It’s funny, “permanence.” A wise man [Kevin] once told me it shoulda been called the “impermanence code.” I guess that’s the thing about life. There’s nothing quite permanent about it.

Eve: No, there isn’t.

Conclusion

Previously, I’d seen Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy (2010) without favoring either film. All the same, I recently decided to watch Tron: Ares (2025) while practicing REBT. Namely, I devoted part of my daily practice of the ABC model and UA to my interpretation of these movies.

Rather than self-disturbing with unproductive beliefs about how Disney altered many aspects of the Tron franchise, I was able to conclude my helpful practice with an important perspective on ULA. Specifically, I walked away with a lesson about both life and death.

In life, one sails on the skyway. In death, one sails off as the sun. This inevitable conclusion is because nothing is for sure, nothing is for certain, and nothing lasts forever. Or, as stated in Tron: Ares, there’s nothing quite permanent about life—at least not in fleshly or digital form.

Therefore, I now invite you to contemplate this healthy ULA perspective and daily practice it while your sailing isn’t quite done. After all, one day you undoubtedly will sail off as the sun. Why not acknowledge the impermanence of life before that time?

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As the world’s foremost EDM and hip hop-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit (edited), fair use

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