When we were children, we listened and absorbed the lessons taught by our parents and our role models. As adults we must ensure the lessons we teach and actions we take are based on truth and facts, not perspective and conjecture. Just as “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32) and “I think therefore I am” (Rene Descartes) we must challenge everything we think we know and view from every perspective before we can conceive it is the truth. We must escape from our own Plato’s Cave (The Allegory of the Cave, “Republic” by Plato), and seek the blinding daylight of reality, and encourage those who are still captive in their cave to escape.

The Allegory of the Cave is an excellent illustrative story for our times. Trapped in a darkened cave watching images parade upon the wall. All we can see are these images and hear their sounds as each creature passes. This is our only means of knowledge and therefore deemed our reality. Just as children we believe what we see and hear. If the figure of an ass passes by and trumpets, we have no choice but to believe the ass trumpets. We know no difference. Not until we are able to escape our bonds of our dark cave can we see a little more truth. We discover the visions we saw on the wall were shadows of silhouettes made with artificial light, not reality. Yet, we still think an ass trumpets because we know nothing different. The puppeteers stay in character as they move the silhouettes and continue the ruse.

It’s not until, once again, we strive to reach the bright daylight outside of the greater cave do we see reality. We are blinded by the brilliance of the sunlight. It hurts at first. We try to shield our eyes until they become accustomed to truth’s brilliance. We see and hear the real ass and elephant and are shocked, in denial and disbelief. We see the sky, hear the surf and thunder, and smell the wonders and stench of real truth. We think to ourselves; we must tell those left behind, still in their cave. However, after harassment and threats we understand another great reality. Each of us must find our own way out of our caves. Regardless of the amount of encouragement, each must decide to either stay in the comfort of manipulated delusion or face the enlightened discomfort of truth. But we can still encourage them and should.

And today the shadows projected upon our wall are controlled by mass and social media. One controlled by only a few for their financial interests and the other manipulated by inhuman bots programmed to disseminate disinformation. We are told ‘truth isn’t truth’ and follow our tribal instincts finding ourselves more comfortable to believe those in our groupthink world and our new puppeteers. For us to break free of their influence we must escape the chains by which they bind us.

So, here’s the deal: if you are not viciously challenging what you believe, or think, and those two are different, every day then you are not in a position to challenge or question anyone else’s ideas or comments. This is a pretty high bar, but one each of us is more than capable of jumping, every day. Through this self-challenge we can see truth is truth, not perspective or the chaos of conspiracy theory. Elephants trumpet like elephants and asses don’t, they heehaw.

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