Stuck in a Dark Cave

Stuck in a Dark Cave

In Plato’s Cave there are many metaphors that get brought up. Like the main one being a cave. You could say that the cave represents many different parts of today’s society like we discussed in class. Like the government, media, culture, parents, religion, society, or even just yourself. But the worst cave to be in is within yourself. This could take forms in many different ways but the most common one is the form of depression. Many people go thru depression for several different reasons like losing a loved one to breaking up with someone.

One way that I am able to relate to this scenario is that when I broke up with my boyfriend it was the worst feeling in the world. Not because I felt like I lost the one person that I truly cared about and could see myself with for the rest of my life, but rather because I felt alone, with no one to turn to. It was a new chapter in my life because I moved out to San Francisco for school shortly after where I knew no one. So I did not have that comfort of opening up to someone that would comfort me. It was like being in a Cave where you don’t see the light but rather a complete darkness surrounding you. A place where nobody want to be. Feeling trapped in your mind with the constant question of you asking yourself, “How could I do something like that? Am I really a bad person?” but whatever it may be there always has to be a way out of the cave thru some type of hole. Though some holes might be tighter and more difficult to squeeze out of, there has to be a way to escape. Even if you are chained up you have to make that effort to get out of there and join society. It may take you weeks, months, or even years but the mission has to be done, so that you could survive and be happy. It took me several months to really get out of my slump, mainly because the transition was so hard.

It felt like Plato, like when he explained how he walked towards the light he suffered a sharp pain, and that the glare will distress him, plus he will be unable to see the realities of which his former state he had seen his shadow. Which it is like that because when you first try to walk towards that light it will be extremely difficult. As, you will go thru many obstacles but you have to keep at it, because your eyes will eventually adjust to the light and things will get better. So you must keep your head up and keep on trying because it is a battle in itself. For me it took me a year to finally be done with him for good because it was like I kept on seeing the bottom of the cave rather than the light ahead of it. So remember the light at the end of the tunnel is the best thing that you could see. Keep walking towards it as life will get better.