Platos Myth of the Cave

Evidently in the dialogue Plato's Myth of the Cave describes how people have chains that keep them from becoming enlightened individuals. Some chains keep us in the shadow denying us the ability to learn how to face change. Chain may also cause us to "kill the messenger", shun those who divert from the norm of thought. Many are unwilling to accept the truth because they have been manipulated into believing their falsehoods. Either through the news or misplaced judgment of friends, and family, yet some are content to remain on these chains. Plato's Myth of the Cave takes a close look at how we behave while dealing with challenging, new ideas.

For example people tend to hide behind these falsehoods to protect themselves from change. Our fear of change creates chains that help us ignore the inevitability of change. It is known that oil reserves have been dwindling, yet people still refuse to see what happening before their very eyes. If only they were "disabused of their error" (paragraph 15) they could better prepare for the future. We treat such problems in the same way as the cave dwellers. When the escapee returns and tells them of the sun they tell him he is crazy for talking of such things. They ignore the fact there is more than just the comfort of their shadows.

Throughout history those who broke away to discover the mysteries of the world were often outcast. They challenged what was just accepted and found the truth, and were rewarded with bigotry and denial. Even though proof may be right in front of us we face new discoveries that challenge the norm with discontent. For example when the idea that the world wad round not flat was proposed it was shunned because it went against what every one blindly followed. Dr. Hubbert proposed that the oil resources are dwindling. This challenged what most people thought as a result Dr. Hubbert was practically laughed out of his profession. This is shown when the cave dweller returns and tells them of the land above "first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water" (paragraph 21). As a result his fellow cave dwellers kill him for going against the ideals they have grown accustomed to.

Though the truth may be uncovered we tend to hide from it. The truth makes us face a reality we dare not live with, so we seek shelter in lies. We create personal chains that keep us from accepting the harsh realities of change. One reason why we refuse to accept the truth is we want to hold on to our truths whether there true or not. No one likes