Allegory of the Cave - Essay Example

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave al Affiliation Introduction The normal person in the civilized society may find it difficult to believe that, to this day, there are still some people living in caves. The caves in this symbolic may be symbolic of the general stereotypes and false impressions that people face in their daily lives. People in such situations tend to feel imprisoned in their own “caves” and this may lead to low self esteem to the victims caught up in such life situations. In this paper, I will discuss in details of the life experiences of living under the caves with the help of the help of the article, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

Part 1: the Time that I have been in the CaveI have personally been caught up in a cave situation with the belief in the stereotype that men do better academically than women. This is a stereotype I had lived with for long time and would usually feel agitated to find women classmates beat me in my fourth grade. The thinking that women are inferior in academics compared to men is indeed a stereotype because some women have achieved great academic success than me. I see my situation similar to Plato’s case when some human figures remain chained under the caves, away from light and that life is indeed civilized and enjoyable.

The human figures under the cave live as prisoners and some new intervention is needed to get these people out of their current lives to enjoying all the good things that life has to offer (Plato, Cowley & Tantor Media, 2011).Part II: How I became freed from the CaveIt was until I joined a study group that I came to realize that women shared the same wisdom that men did and no gender was of less importance. I came to the realization that performance in academic is all about hard work, passion, and dedication and not about gender.

Joining the group was such a powerful intervention to my stereotype cave because I saw with my own eyes, women take over responsibility and do work in the same manner a man would. The woman leader led the groups to great discussions, alignment, and presentations and we were able to beat all other groups, even others led by men. This challenged my stereotypic thinking and prompted change to the way I perceived women. My change process came in three major steps. First was the realization of the stereotypical cave I was living in (Farahar & Zahra Pictures, 2006).

Here I realized that I was living with beliefs that were no longer applicable in a civilized society. Second was the desire to change. Here I decided to change this was my first step in getting out of the cave. The third step was to join a movement that would assist me get out of the cave completely. I choose these steps because they were the perfect channel to getting out of the cave. My change in stereotype confirmed that I am indeed confident, enthusiastic, and willing to embrace positive changes.

Part III: Implications and Applications of the ExitHaving exited from the stereotypical cocoon, I ended up becoming an advocate for gender equality. I would in occasionally advice family members and friend of the importance of embracing gender equality and treating women with the respect they deserve, I would also occasionally lead groups and movements advocating for gender equality. I would apply the same in advocating for workers’ rights because all human beings are equal. This would work as there are already unions fighting the same fight.

I would also apply the same in handling family matters as no family member is special than the other. This would work through a good reasoning that we all united by blood. In conclusion, almost all of us will be caught up in a “cave” at some point in life. The best idea will in this case be to find the cave-related beliefs, stereotypes, and false generalizations and challenge them to a better living (Heidegger & Sadler, 2002).ReferencesFarahar, F. F., Kradjian, C., Madih, O., La, F. W., Valadez, B.

, Miller, B. D., Abundes, C., . Zahra Pictures, LLC. (2006). Allegory of the cave. United States: Zahra Pictures.Heidegger, M., & Sadler, T. (2002). The essence of truth: On Platos cave allegory and Theaetetus. New York: Continuum.Plato, ., Cowley, J., & Tantor Media. (2011). Symposium, the apology, and the allegory of the cave. Old Saybrook, Conn.: Tantor Media.