In Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" Socrates explains how the prisoners in the cave were tied down and could only see what is in front of them.One of the prisoner were set free and sees the light outside the cave. He was so amazed, he went back to the cave to tell the prisoners about what he saw. They were in disbelieved and he was put into exile.
The author uses the prisoners as a symbolism of the human in our socitey. He explains how in nature, humans were not taught beyond the knowledge because of human's narrow minded . "Would he not be certain to have his eyes full of darkness?" Socrates states that once a human have enlighten the new knowledge of the world, it is difficult to see the same as everyone. They are conceive to what everyone already knows but are not open minded to see the different way of life.
Many people live in the darkness but doesnt really portray the real reason to not knowing. If I were in the cave I would normally be the one not wanting to know more than I am suppose to learn. On my friend's birthday her mom cooked food that I normally dont eat. I dont ascend out of my comfort zone due to my narrow minded and I dont try it.
In this passage it shows that not everyone are tolerant to learning new things but just try to understand what they are suppose too. Like the prisoners, they do not try to attain and listen to Socrates but tries to warn him about things he should only know. Socrates does risk his live into know more because by knowing more, it uses new techniques of thinking.