After reading a translation of Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave”, it reminded me of my own curiosities of life and the search for the Ultimate Truth (if there is one). As a human being, I was born as a creature of curiosity. I have always looked at the world that we know as a puzzle and I guess my purpose in life is to figure out “where do I fit within this puzzle?” I’m pretty sure the rest of the world is and has been asking similar questions. After all, religion has been one of the strongest driving forces in human nature. When I was born into this world, I knew close to nothing. My natural instincts drove me to eat, sleep, and play. Looking back, I see my younger self as a piece of clay being molded into fashion as society sees fit. But as I grew, I did begin to learn of my environment. As school years stacked upon me, I began to understand society’s expectations of me. Social protocol called for me to finish grade school, then graduate college, get a well paid job, start a family, and then die (hopefully after I’ve seen my kids grow old). Eventually, I realized that the world that I see only contains parts of the truth. I became conscious that I was an actor playing out a script that I did not write.
In Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave”, the man (or prisoner) steps out of the cave and is shown light. This man eventually realizes some of the truth, but this isn’t the end. One day, the man steps on the moon and realizes that there are stars and galaxies. Another day, the man steps into a lab and splits atoms apart to discover more truths. Man has always been driven by curiosity to take steps towards the truth. Each time man takes a step, he steps into a whole new, stranger world that he doesn’t understand yet. I noticed the irony employed by Plato’s “cave” metaphor. Plato compares the fire in the cave to the sun outside. In my perspective, I believe Plato is saying that the world outside the cave is no different than the world inside the cave and that if the man keeps taking steps, he will eventually end up back where he started, a circle. Plato is saying that the world outside the cave is no more “real” than the world inside the cave. I feel exactly like this “man” from Plato’s “cave” metaphor. The more I learn, the more confused I become. I find that every answer that I get only brings up more questions. As my vision of the world opens wider, I begin to see more and more things. I see things that I don’t understand and the truth becomes more elusive. After learning so much and knowing so little, I come to realize that I might be looking in the wrong direction. Maybe, I shouldn’t be looking for the answers outside. Maybe, this world is an illusion and I should be looking inside myself. Perhaps, if I look deep enough … I might be able to find the Ultimate Truth.
I too have seen the path of school, more school, career, and then family laid out before me. I personally have and most likely will generally fallow this path. I have a friend who does not and probably will never fallow this path but in her own life she has had successes and losses like me and I feel that she will be successful in her way. I’m assuming that we both agree (you and I) that this path/ ‘social protocol’ is supposed to lead to success. At a point before and during college I questioned this path to see if it was really my own. To some degrees I have accepted it. I have decided what I want to study and my general career path. I actually just accepted what I thought I should do and stopped waiting for the sign to come out of the sky that should tell me I had to do/be (insert awesome job). May I ask have you accepted this path? Are you now writing your own script?
ReplyDeleteFor your second paragraph I half see what you are saying but I personally reject the idea that it is circular because if I really was going in circles then I would hit my self. I also feel that answers lead to exponential questions and it feels as if I am going in circles or just no where at all. I instead like to think that each answer means I have gained a level or grew a little more and that that it gets harder because more questions pop up. I think you are not supposed to answer them all but take them as they come and not to feel burdened by them. I like to think of it as a linear path so I can feel better about not getting the final answer but knowing I am still going forward. When it comes down to it circular and linear with no end is the same result….no end. Native Americans have a great belief in the full circle of things and in the modern world we have a big belief in the liner time progression of things.
Hello Martin,
ReplyDeleteToday I had a chance to read your blog “The Journey through,” and I must say it was really good. So good, I would have to say much better than mine. I especially liked how you opened up by mentioning your curiosities in life and the search for the ultimate truth (if there is one). I feel the same way. How can you search for the ultimate truth if you have no idea where it is, or if it even exists? Often times I feel very lost like you. Where do we fit into this puzzle of such a large population, and existence? Many times I feel people turn to religion in order to fill that void of emptiness. Religion provides a comfort for people. As long as you’re following God, you are learning the truth.
I have also become conscious of our roll playing in society. This social protocol or how you explained it “An actor playing out a script.” Even as I look at my life right now, the only reason why I’m in college today is because that’s what’s expected of me. Sometime I feel we choose to live in the darkness because the more we learn, the more we become confused. We are still in the darkness even when we come out of the cave.
Maybe, you will find that ultimate truth. I remember what one of my teachers once told me, “The meaning of life is to experience life!”
Nice blog,
Enrique Vargas