Intentional Ignorance In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

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“ Intentional Ignorance ’

In Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”, we are introduced to prisoners that have been chained in a cave from birth. They were forced to believe in man-made shadows created by puppeteers carrying objects back and forth . The shadows along with the echoes (which the prisoners believed were coming from the shadows), create an illusion (which serves as an allegory for ignorance). After one of the prisoners were dragged up to the opening of the cave (where he sees sunlight for the first time and realizes the images inside the cave are illusions created by the puppeteers), He is ridiculed and thought insane by the other prisoners, because
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A financial institution (Bank of America) extended a line of credit to me. It was easy for me to run the credit card up to its limit, (for over a year). Soon after, I was informed by credit counselors that keeping a high balance for a long period would decrease my Fico score. It was easier believing it would not happen. I did not listen to the counselors and continued to keep a high balance on my card. Unfortunately, the credit counselors were right, and in turn, my Fico score was lowered. As Plato stated “And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take and to take in the objects of vision which he can see , and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him?’ It's easier to believe in what's easier for the mind conceive
Understanding the allegory makes it easy to understand Plato’s main argument, which was “The prison-house is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun, and you will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards.” In other words to be ignorant is one thing , but to have knowledge put before you and not try to understand it is not using common sense. Some ironic sayings relating to intentional ignorance include, “To be in a dark cave is to be ignorant, The