Plato's Cave

Plato's cave.

Everyone knows the allegory.

The idea is that most people are trapped in a cave where they see only shadows and echoes, and that those prisoners in the cave confuse those shadows and echoes for reality. According to the allegory, while these cave prisoners are rational, while they do their very best to be understand what's going on, the cave prisoners are inevitably mistaken.

This allegory is a favorite of the "enlightened."

They love it because in contrast to the confused majority, the metaphor casts the "enlightened" in the role as the ones who have turned their heads, who have seen beyond the shadows, who have witnessed reality for what it is. In sum, the enlightened enjoy the metaphor because they like to envision themselves as the elite few who really know what's going on.

All kinds of groups of people cast themselves in this role; some of those people are pretty awesome, others are ridiculous. 5 percenters, Crossfitters, libertarians, religious people of all superstitions, the list never stops.

And that's great. I enjoy learning about them and I applaud their efforts.
Except they haven't all seen outside the cave.
Not one of the groups, and certainly not all of the groups.
A PC explanation that everyone can see outside of the cave in their own way, that a million paths to truth coexist, is bullshit.
Most of what people do is swap one flavor of ridiculousness for another ad infinitum.

And where do I get off saying this?
Wouldn't I be suggesting that I myself have seen outside the cave? The only way I could say for certain that others haven't seen outside the cave is to compare their false visions to my true vision, right?

And in claiming this position don't I just join their ranks, become just another of the ubiquitous "enlightened" assholes?

No, and no.

Because I haven't seen outside the cave.
I don't claim to have seen outside the cave.

The little bit of wisdom I'm gaining as I age is really anti-wisdom. It's learning everyday that I know less that I think I do, and that the same is true for most others as well.

As comforting as being a member of a self righteous groups is (Jesus Freak, capital (L)ibertarian, McLean Bible Church Cult member), I prefer to go without the comfort.

Instead I accept that the world is largely unknowable, and to adopt any philosophy that convinces otherwise is self-deception.

So I'll stay in the cave. I'll do my best with the shadows and the echos. And I won't pretend, to you or myself, that I'm anywhere else.