You've no doubt heard of the Greek philosopher, Plato.
You may have even heard of his writing, 'The Allegory of the Cave', also known as Plato's Cave. If you are not familiar with it, you can read it here.
In short, it's a written dialogue between Plato's brother and another well known ancient Greek philosopher named Socrates.
The Rundown
As the analogy goes, there is a small group of people who have lived their entire lives chained to the wall of an underground cave. They have been chained in such a way that they can't turn their heads, so they can only look at the cave wall that's in front of them.
This wall that they are chained to is, let's say about 6 feet high, and further behind this wall there is a fire burning. Other people walk behind this wall between the fire and the captives carrying vessels, statues, and assorted figures of animals made of wood, stone, and other materials. The fire casts a reflection of these objects, like shadow puppets, onto the wall in front of those who are chained.
The chained ones, having only ever known what they can see before them, believe that what they see is real, and even give names to the shadows. The world that they see before them is the only world they know, so the shadows are their reality.
Those who are chained would have contests and try to predict which figures would appear on the cave wall in front of them, and in what order. If someone was to guess correctly they would be congratulated and praised, no doubt for their perceived intellect, by the others.
(Sound familiar?)
Then at some point one of the captive ones reluctantly gets dragged from the cave.
At first they can only see reflections of things due to the brightness of the sun. They eventually adjust to the light and everything is seen with more definition and more clarity; their new surroundings; their new world; their new reality.
When they finally return to the cave to tell the other captives about what they've seen and what they've learned, their eyes are trying to readjust to the darkness of the cave and so they are having trouble seeing.
The remaining captives surmise that this impaired vision is a result of leaving the cave and they don't want the same issues to come to them, so they choose to stay in the cave. They remain adamant about not leaving the cave and may even go so far as to threaten to harm anyone who tries to remove them from the cave.
They have concluded, based on what they see and know, that the cave is safe and the outside world is unsafe.
Those who are chained in the cave do not know of, much less believe in, other possibilities.
I imagine it would be safe to say that they also aren't used to anyone challenging them or pushing back against their beliefs.
From our capacity to reason, to human perception, to corrupt politics or cultures, the symbolism in the allegory of Plato's Cave has been interpreted a multitude of ways over the centuries.
What makes this writing such a timeless thought experiment?
Anyone, no matter what their occupation is and no matter where they are in life, can read this story and have an interpretation of it. What's more is we could read this story today and derive a particular meaning from it, and we could read this again in a few years and interpret it in an altogether different way.
I looked in on this story the other day and while there is some more to the complete story, I wanted to focus on this part in particular because it struck me in a way I had not considered before.
Let's go spelunking, shall we?
The Situation
Prior to Betty and I making our first visit to the mountains of Colorado we did a whole lot of research.
We had never encountered moose, bear, mountain lions, or high altitude conditions before and we wanted to know (as best we could) what to expect and what to do in the event of an encounter with one of these animals. Being at a higher altitude can create its own set of problems, as well.
It should be noted that we spend a lot of time in the back country, or remote areas, and we sleep in a tent when we do. That was also the plan for this trip.
Since we were going to be in an entirely different environment than what we have ever experienced, with an entirely different set of potential issues, we wanted to prepare ourselves. We spent a lot of time researching a variety of situations that could possibly occur because we wanted to know what to look for;
what to avoid;
what to do and not do;
in order to have a safe, but fun, adventure.
I suppose we could have just believed those extreme wildlife horror stories that make their way into the news, or got our information from the first source that we found that had philosophies and principles which aligned with what we thought we already knew.
But, no.
We went into it as if we knew absolutely nothing. We dug deep to find tips and advice and knowledge from actual experts who have studied and had real world experiences with whatever we were looking into. Interestingly enough, the majority of what we learned from all of that research has been used effectively in our own real life experiences at one time or another.
When we first got into backpacking it was the same thing. It was as if we surfaced from a cave and discovered a different world. Hours and hours of research went into clothing, gear, and everything related to being in the wilderness with only what we carry on our back.
Getting expert knowledge and advice from those who were experienced was very beneficial to begin with, but it wasn't until we gained more and more experience of our own that we were able to understand the importance of having good equipment and how to best use it according to the situation and our own preferences. There were items that were supposedly "must-haves" that we discovered we could do without, and we found multiple uses for other items that were not widely recommended.
The Cave Wall
Did you know…
Your chances of being struck by lightning are far greater than your chances of being attacked by a shark. Yet we are terrified of sharks, while we give little thought to lightning.
You are more likely to be killed by a bee or even another human than by a bear. But most of us would probably be gripped by fear or high anxiety upon encountering a bear in the wild, and we most likely wouldn't give a bee or another human a second thought.
More people succumb to hypothermia in the summer months than in the winter months. We'll bundle up to the point that we look or feel like the Michelin Man before we go outside for any length of time in the winter but we give much less thought to what we wear in the summer.
Many people base their reality - what they believe to be true - on what they see on TV, the movies, YouTube, or whatever they see on social media; second-hand information and/or half truths that they hear from others. Their perception of reality is based on sensationalized media stories, staged and saturated photographs, reels, and fictional films; a lot of second-hand, exaggerated, or unconfirmed information.
A good amount of it is inaccurate or flat out false information.
Like the reflections on a cave wall.
The internet (in general) and social media (in particular) has over saturated us with information and "universal truths". We'll seek and search online for those tidbits of information and these nuggets of truth. We can find any and all types of information on the internet. If we look long enough we can probably find advice, data, reports, or any other kind of info that is presented in a way that validates what we already take to be true.
Just because something resonates with us, and just because we can read it or see it on a screen, does not make it a truth.
But rather than being curious and digging deeper, it's easier to believe that we already do understand and we do know the "how's" and the "why's" and the "what's" based on what we heard from others. Our reasoning for our beliefs could even seem flawless, but if our founding premise or our initial hypothesis is wrong, it doesn't matter. It's all wrong.
Once we begin with a shadow that we believe is the real thing, and then we continue to develop our own truths and our own stories based on indirect information to fill in the gaps, this draws us deeper and deeper into the cave.
It is not at all uncommon these days to find someone who has read a few articles or watched a few videos on a topic - as misleading as they may be - and from these articles or videos they will develop very strong opinions. Then, with little to no actual experience in the matter, they will argue with someone who has actual training or experience with whatever the subject matter is. I wrote about this from another angle in an article entitled A Theory Concerning Experts, which can be seen here.
On a near daily basis there are new and various narratives popping up about one thing or another. Many of these narratives develop a life of their own because people don't even bother to question them or investigate them in any way. They don't even seem to want to question them. They just believe them. And before you know it, these narratives become widespread beliefs.
Could it be that what we're really doing is just looking for the things that align with what we think we already know and the beliefs that we already hold?
Do we believe that the only reality is the shadows that appear in front of us?
(What about now? Does it sound familiar now?)
Like the shadow puppets on the cave wall, we can learn the wrong things by reading and watching the wrong things, and believing them to be legitimate truths.
We only know about different methods, means, and experiences as they come to us filtered through layers of previously obtained information (sometimes inaccurate, partial, or misleading information) followed by more layers of our preconceived notions. Sometimes we are so convinced that we know the truth, that if another truth was standing before us we wouldn't even see it or, maybe worse, we'd be convinced that it's a lie.
But we'll just keep scrolling and looking for a relatable meme to cast a reflection on our wall; a reflection of what we think we are, what we want to be, or what we want others to believe we are.
Continually creating our own customized cave of information.
The Shadows
We've all been told a great number of untruths over the years - some were intentional, but many were inadvertent - and sometimes we believed them. Some of these untruths may have ended up becoming "facts" in our viewpoints and belief systems.
These untruths (or deceptions, inaccuracies, misinformation, falsehoods, fabrications, misrepresentations, tales...whatever you want to call them) hurt us. They hurt every aspect of our lives. We may even choose to remain blind to an otherwise strong or significant truth simply because the untruth makes us feel better. It makes us feel better because it makes us feel like we are "right".
We've had years, possibly even decades, of thinking and believing a certain way. Eventually something or someone pushes back or challenges these untruths which, by now, have become our beliefs. So when something different or unfamiliar comes around, all of those years of repetitive thinking would have us not take the "different" seriously, and not believe it. When we experience something we haven't learned - which is really nothing more than experiencing something different - we often times don't know how to accept it or deal with it.
When we don't know how to accept or deal with something we will typically hang on to what already makes sense to us, and we'll reject anything that makes us question our own view of the truth.
(It's the cave!)
Letting go of life long patterns and world views, conclusions we have come to, habits, behaviors, and beliefs that may have worked for us at one time - dismantling habits and beliefs that we have spent our whole lives building - is not for the timid or faint of heart. It is not practicing "business as usual".
Wanting or needing to let go of any of these things is admitting to ourselves that something needs to change, while in reality the clues have most likely been multiplying for years.
This is the point when we begin to emerge from the cave.
Like the captives in Plato's cave, sometimes we get glimpses of a truth but we choose to ignore it and continue on in the world we created in our minds. I mean, it's always easier to re-frame one small and seemingly insignificant aspect of life than to re-frame the complex and unedited whole of our existence. There is less cognitive dissonance this way.
Knowing feels comfortable and "facts" feel safe.
Not being able to explain something feels uncomfortable.
But what happens when you have a feeling or an experience that you can't rationalize or explain?
Everything is always fluctuating and changing.
Because of this, we have to challenge ourselves, have different experiences, see new horizons, meet new and different people, be exposed to different ways of thinking, and see new things.
Instead, we attempt to intellectualize everything without ever experiencing it.
Maybe we're not so concerned with truth as we'd like to believe.
Maybe we're more concerned with thinking that we are right.
Or maybe we want to cast a shadow on someone else's wall to give the impression that we know what we are doing.
Even when everything around us is trying to change our story, we prefer to remain chained to the ones we're familiar with - the ones that make us feel comfortable.
But the truth is, we can't know life just by statements or just from what we read and watch.
Emerging From the Cave
You can read everything that's ever been written and watch every video that's ever been made about a subject. You can read everything there is to know about Istanbul, Turkey, for example. But until you go there and actually experience it, it's still nothing more than a story you've created from the information that you consumed about it - it's still just a name on a map.
You can read everything that's ever been written, and watch every video you can find, about hitting a 95 mph fastball from a Major League pitcher. How much good does it really do when you are standing in the batter's box and watching that ball come at you in real time?
Here's another example; Imagine you're in the market for a new vehicle. You've spent hours comparing safety features and gas mileage and all of the bells and whistles that you're looking for in a new vehicle. Finally you come to a conclusion on a vehicle that has met all of the qualifications - all of your wants and needs - so you go to the dealership excited to check it out and to give it a drive. While you're driving it you realize that something about it is uncomfortable to you. It just doesn't feel right. The experience of driving the vehicle you thought you wanted changed how you felt about it.
One final example; You've visited a picturesque and quaint little village in the mountains a few times during the summer season and you have fallen in love with it. You ultimately end up deciding you want to live there. Once you've moved there you discover the pivotal role that nature plays in dictating how, why, and when certain things are done; there is a lot of planning and commuting to get many things accomplished; you feel way more isolated than you expected for much of the year; and you aren't liking this at all.
You may think you know all about me from reading my posts. You may think you know someone else based on what they post on their social media. But until you spend time talking with (not at) someone, asking questions and listening to them, you can't truly know them.
Experiencing something can give an entirely different response or reaction because you can have knowledge of something and you can understand it rationally, but to experience it can cause you to feel something very different emotionally - which can change everything.
If you haven't experienced it, you are only speculating or seeing it through someone else's eyes. Until you experience it and feel it, you'll never fully know about that subject - or person. Reading, watching, or even thinking about something, and then experiencing it in all of its fullness are usually two very different things. You can consume all the information you can get your hands on, but what happens when you're there in the thick of it?
Simply put, we can't truly understand what we haven't experienced.
It is our experiences that alter and change our perspectives more than anything else.
Knowledge is good.
Knowledge is even important.
And the internet is full of knowledge and valuable information.
It's also full of a lot of false and misleading information.
How can we tell the difference?
Experiences matter.
Without actual life experiences, knowledge is not enough. All of that schooling or training may have helped to a certain degree, but it all changed as soon as you were confronted with the real thing, didn't it?
Without real world experiences, knowledge is still just theories, ideas, opinions, and what someone else has said. Knowledge is good, but it's experiences that give us understanding. So if we don't experience different, we won't understand different.
We can sit and look at the world through a screen and think we've got it all figured out. Or we can be curious, ask questions, embrace the unfamiliar, and step into the unknown.
I don't recall ever reading about it anywhere in any of the research I did before our first trip to the mountains of Colorado, but did you know that the sun feels very different up in the mountains then it does at lower elevations? See, if you have experienced this, then you have felt it, you understand it, and you can explain it.
What if we gave the same devotion to understanding ourselves as we gave to our jobs or our families?
What if we evaluated ourselves with the same conviction, passion, and intensity that we evaluated everybody and everything else with?
We spend a lot of time in our caves trying to escape reality when we should be spending more time trying to work with it. We do this by experiencing it, which can make it feel different. And this can give us a different understanding of it.
To have different or unfamiliar experiences, and to learn from those experiences, shines a light into the mental cave.
We are all like the captives in Plato's cave, to one degree or another. And many people, it seems, only want reality when it's comfortable or convenient for them.
So we stay in our safe little worlds - our caves - where we feel comfortable and where nobody pushes back or challenges us; where we can just keep scrolling and looking for that meme or that article or video that we can relate to - that shadow on the cave wall that we have made into our reality.
Pic - Grant Krasner
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