Who the heck can we believe? Episode 2 of author AK Patch’s series on 3 timeless truths from the ancient world to sustain a vibrant life in the 21 century. Last week we covered arrogance and humility. Today, well discuss dealing with distorted truths. What do you have for us AK?
Last week we talked about unbridled arrogance at some point will come back to get you, and confidence with a measure of humility is a better way to be. Today I’m, going back to the ancient Greece to reveal wisdom for Socrates and Plato. It’s astounding that in 380 BC, those two philosophers nailed our national media and their bias. Wait to you hear this! I’m going to reveal to you the ALLEGORY OF PLATO”S CAVE.
Aren’t we supposed to stay out of deep, dark caves? What is PLATO”S CAVE?
Especially when we become unwillingly trapped in that cave!!! Socrates most famous student, the philosopher, Plato, described how we are manipulated by the powers at be to further their power over us. The allegory begins with the citizens of a community chained to the floor of a cave. There is a giant cave wall in front of them. That’s all they can see. The powerful, the manipulators, or puppet masters, are up above them. They can’t be seen by the citizens. What the puppet masters do is pass symbols and figures in front of a fire that cast shadows on the cave wall. Since that’s all the citizens see, that is their whole experience, or their whole truth.
What happens next, AK?
Someone frees one of the citizen prisoners. He is led up an arduous road to the surface (this represents education). He bursts out into the light of day, and is blinded. Then our former prisoner is amazed by what he sees and experiences (the truth) The world is so much different than what he was shown in the cave. He feels its his moral mission to inform the other back in the cave that they’re being lied to. He goes back down and tells everyone- Don’t accept these symbols. They’re lies. The truth is up above.
Do the prisoners believe him?
No!!! They tell him he’s crazy. Finally, they tell him to go away, or they’ll kill him. They haven’t been educated to look past the mandatory education of the Puppet masters. Isn’t this incredible! In 380 BC, the Greek philosophers nailed our national media and those behind their manipulation.
So what do we do about it?
Timeless truth #2- Don’t believe everything you hear, see, or read in the media. We have many preset biases, many of them political. We accept information that supports those biases. We have to dig further for the truth up above the cave. We, too, must trudge up that arduous climb and educate OURSELVES so we can critically assess what we’re being told. Many people don’t want to put that effort it, and then fall into the powerful clutches of the puppet masters.
What other problem do you see, AK?
At this time, it’s becoming more dire. In my opinion, we’re developing two Caves where there is no longer a central truth up above, only the two truths of the two caves. This is a disaster for a republic. We need critically thinking citizens who can think, act and vote against the manipulations of the powerful. Study history, study human nature, study how they work their web of supposed truth. We have to evaluate both sides of the argument before we make a decision.
What about your novels, AK?
My great joy is taking history, philosophy, mythology, current events and the future and stirring it all into a big stew of a plot. If all this sounds interesting to your listeners, go to PASSAGE at DELPHI on Amazon. It’s the first book. Free on Kindle Unlimited. 2.95 on Kindle., or get a printed version. Start the adventure. My goal is to take you on whirlwind adventure. Next week- Timeless truth #3. Tune in next week at 145 pm CST.
History has an unending string of compelling stories- they inspired me to write an time travel adventure that involves the past, present, and future. BOOK ONE -PASSAGE AT DELPHI- BEGINS THE SERIES. It’s about a professor couple who go thru Hell to survive in the ancient world and struggle to return home. They don’t understand they’ve drafted to help save the future of the United States. IN BOOK TWO, they begin to understand what disaster they might face in our time and they become volunteers rather than draftees.
In BOOK Three of my Series JOURNEY FROM DELPHI- The whole plot orchestrated from within, and from foreign shores, explodes. it. It’s an exciting, gritty, and entertaining story. Who will be willing to fight, and who will survive?
Go to Amazon today and begin the series. Summer is time. Time to pull a good book and get lost in the adventure.
START on Amazon with PASSAGE AT DELPHI!!!!