Plato’s Cave and The Stockholm Syndrome

In Plato’s Republic there is an interesting examination of the human condition called The Allegory of the Cave.

In the Allegory, a group of men have been imprisoned since birth in an underground cave. The men are chained, sitting in rows, and can only see the far wall of the cave. Behind the men is a low partition like in a puppet show. A light shines from behind the partition, illuminating the far wall of the cave.

Every so often, unseen prison guards put on a show by raising various objects above the partition, and moving them around in the light so they cast silhouettes on the far wall for the prisoners to see.

Over the years, the prisoners have developed an elaborate cultural understanding of their existence in the cave, including all sorts of intricate meanings for the shadows. Those that are better at “knowing” what the shadows “mean”, and predicting what will happen next, are considered wise, and hold positions of authority and respect in the Cave Society. The less adept prisoners hold lesser positions in the Cave Society.

Every so often, a messenger from outside the cave comes down and tells the prisoners of the wonderful sunny world that exists outside the cave and offers them all a chance to escape. Of course, the “wise” prisoners tell everyone not to go. They say that there is no sunny world, or that if there is, it will be too difficult to survive there. Every now and then, one of the prisoners takes the opportunity to escape. Naturally, the other prisoners call him a “quitter” and a “coward” and criticize him for his stupidity in leaving their comfortable and predictable existence.

In a sense, we are all like the prisoners in the cave. Have we all not heard the stories of the sunny world above?  Yet, we are afraid to venture forth. We are all too comfortable, and have come to love our captors. We even defend our captors, having come down with our own personal case of Stockholm Syndrome.

Yet, like in the cave, we are free to choose freedom. We do not have to live in bondage. It boils down to whom we choose to believe, our captors, or the messengers.

There REALLY IS a sunny world outside the cave! A world ruled by a King who desires our eternal happiness. It is the King who sends the messengers. He will not force us, He lets us choose. 

If only we would believe the messengers!

If only we would believe, our chains would drop off, and we would be free to leave the prison.

Free to live forever in the sunny world above with the King who loves us.