Personal Narrative: The Allegory Of The Cave

In the year 360 BCE, the famous philosopher Plato released his perplexing book The Republic, which brings to light philosophical ideas relating to ignorance, and it's effects upon people individually, or grouped together with a “mob mentality”. His brilliant writing is accompanied by numerous archetypes, but the one that catches the eye is the dark and light motif which he uses quite subtly, yet, is also quite clear in his allegory of The Cave. This motif of light and dark introduces the idea of our own personal darkness consuming us, which are our “chains” - the chains which hold us back from living happily, or our “sun”. However, some of us have the keys to our shackles, and choose to stay with their darkness, because within our cave of ignorance, it is familiar. I am one of these people, along with many others, yet no matter how painful it may be, breaking free from these shackles will remove the burden upon our backs, and allow us to see the light from outside our caves.

I have had my own darkness, my chains of insecurity, latching onto me for as long as I can remember.

However, like a growing flower, my darkness bloomed in my late childhood around the age of nine. This disease of self-doubt spread to me from the infliction of bullying, caught from both of my own cousins. They blinded my own view of myself, until all I could see was the negatives within me. And this corruption, these ever-growing “chains,” hold me back from seeing true vision, even to this day. Nonetheless, if I had the ability to shatter the shackles of insecurity, perhaps I would have the power to see the sun, and the resplendent light of a better

future.

Unfortunately, it is not just I who has the encumbrance of insecurity. Many others are grouped inside this cave alongside me, disbelieving the possibility of purging the fog from their vision. Pressure from a multitude of sources forges these chains upon them, whether it be from societal, parental, or even self expectations. For example, as disheartening as it is, corporations target adolescents by expressing a “perfect” look, which many teens have a strong need to become. This forces many kids to self-loathe themselves, in turn leading to insecurity. If these plentiful burdens were to be removed, countless amounts of kids would find the strength to snap the chains holding them back from the light outside their cave.

In essence, Plato’s allegory of The Cave teaches us that everyone has their own chains of darkness which threaten to keep the insightful light locked away. It’s a message that reminds us of the fear within us all: the fear which constructed the shackles and chains that hold us back from our highest potential, our sun. But in order to see bright daybreak, we need to achingly forge the keys to our shackles from our highest self-confidence. However, until the day this can occur for all of us, one-by-one, we shall be trapped within our dark caverns, imagining all of the possibilities with a clearer vision.