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RE: Plato’s Cave – Why Some People Want To Remain Prisoners
Slightly tongue-in-cheek, but still:
Perhaps we're all prisoners, only in different caves. What's the point of educating someone about a different cave as if only that particular cave holds The Real Truth? Even I couldn't muster the arrogance needed.
Once one emerges from the cave and into the light of the sun it is just the beginning, but to even get to that point requires help from someone else. Think Neo and Morpheus as the Matrix is heavily influenced by this allegory.
The prisoners are chained and constricted to see only the wall in front of them. That the only things the prisoners have ever seen are shadows and appearances. That the real world awaits them if they are willing to struggle free of their bonds. When you are free to move about the world and see things from any perspective you choose, using the truth of the sun to guide your explorations.
I believe that everyone can leave the dark, restricted, cave existence of a designed shadow show; that is as long as they are prepared to struggle free of their chains of denial of the human condition - which many are not willing to do.
Not disagreeing there, as long as people aren't forced or "educated" to somebody elses "truth" when they are truly happy where they are. Wants, morals and realities differ, see also my slightly misunderstood comment under this post by @krnel.
My point was more that maybe the world you are free to move in once you have left your shadowy cave is just another cave, only more elaborate and slightly better lit 8-). You would then have to be a bit more careful about helping people "move caves", as you run the risk of making them unhappy without offering them a better reality, just a different one, and possibly one that doesn't suit them at all. I don't believe much in a Truth that is Best For All.
Yes, I did just finish reading @krnel's post and found it to be quite similar to a modern version of Plato's cave here - seems we had similar thoughts today in our writing topics.
The sophists of the past have used the many caves discussion, they were the 'devils advocate' or pessimists to the debates. Seems to fit you here @orcdu.
Towards the end of my article I touch on this issue of those that don't wish to leave. This is why you must educate those around you at a slow pace. Go too fast and their eyes are still in too much pain to see what you are trying to show them. Know that not everyone will ever want to leave the cave either.
While you must know that not everyone will want to leave the 'comfy' cave and head out into the 'unknown' world, those that have left the cave have a duty to inform the prisoners of it and help any that wish to leave. That they are chained and confined and shown shadows of real things.
I'm not sure you must educate people who are truly happy where they are, but I can also see the importance of telling them about other possible realities without forcing them, which is why I like your post.
It is when people start to claim things like a (Moral) Truth people should be educated towards by someone who knows The Way, without taking their wellbeing, or the possibility of other truths and morals, into consideration that I stop being just a pessimist and start disagreeing.