Bass 1

Weston Bass
English 102
September 19, 2014
Instructor: Maya Alapin
Platos Cave: Comprehension over Comfort
The phrase, Ignorance is bliss is often heard when discussing unpleasantries. We ask
one another, Do you want the good news or the bad news? It is not an unfamiliar feeling to
prefer to avoid truths that make us uncomfortable. In this way, sticking a head in the sand
envelopes us in the very same darkness of Platos cave. And yet these uncomfortable truths are
necessary to fully comprehend ourselves and the world around us. Why are truths sometimes
uncomfortable? What can we do to force ourselves to face and ultimately embrace all truth?
It would be useful to define truth as objectively observable and provable facts. Therefore
truth is not relative, but discernable, and universally acceptable. The problem with truth is that is
gets mixed up with belief. Belief and perception muddy the waters of truth. Optical illusions are
a perfect example of perception, creating a belief that might not be true. (Fig. 1)

Figure 1 (Adelson)
Bass 2

Squares A and B appear to be different shades of gray. We perceive they are different, which
leads to our belief they are different. And yet they are the same shade. (Fig. 2)

Figure 2 (Adelson)
Our perceptions and beliefs are not the truth. Truth is immune to perception and can be verified
from any perspective.
Plato also illustrates the problems with perception. The captives in the cave have a
limited perspective. The chains keep them in place and prevent them from turning their heads so
that they only see forward. (Plato, 175) These limitations are similar to our own finite
perspectives. Knowledge is infinite, and yet we make conclusions of truth based on a very
narrow field of vision. We firmly believe truth to be the shadows of artificial objects. (Plato,
176)
Questioning our beliefs and perceptions is the first step towards comprehension. The
desire to truly comprehend and know must be internal. As Plato warns in his allegory, after being
forcefully shown the truth, if the man were to return and try and release the other prisoners, those
prisoners would attempt to kill him. Why do we reject revelations of truth if they contradict our
previously held beliefs?
Bass 3

Beliefs and perceptions are foundational. In that, once we believe something to be true,
any evidence or information that confirms those beliefs is easier to process and accept. This bias
creates a snowball effect of perception. Analytic as well as intuitive processing favors the
acceptance of messages that are compatible with a recipients preexisting beliefs: The message
contains no elements that contradict current knowledge, is easy to process, and feels right.
(Lewandowsky, 112) Overcoming these biases is difficult. So difficult that studies have shown
that when people are presented with facts that dispute their previously held beliefs, those beliefs
are not discarded, but rather become more deeply entrenched. (Keohane) While this seems
counterintuitive, the reality is that replacing beliefs and perceptions with truth is a genuine
struggle. The man in Platos cave is forcefully removed, dragged into the blinding sunlight.
This forceful correction can work on some individuals, but for others different approaches might
be more effective.
Removing misinformation can create a vacuum of explanation. Without a firm grasp of
the why, people are likely to hold on to the misinformation in order to keep even a flawed
understanding of the world around them. Any understanding is better than no understanding.
Providing an alternative causal explanation of the event can fill the gap left behind by retracting
misinformation. Studies have shown that the continued influence of misinformation can be
eliminated through the provision of an alternative account that explains why the information was
incorrect. (Lewandowsky, 117) It is not enough to tell someone they are wrong, or even show
them facts to prove they are wrong. Explaining the functions that they misunderstood is far more
effective.
Backfire effects of truth are harder to overcome. Attitudes and beliefs that are based on
morality, ideology or philosophy are less likely to be proven wrong because those bases are
Bass 4

less tangible and relative to societal, generational or geographic influences. This backfire effect
has been attributed to a process by which people implicitly counterargue against any information
that challenges their worldview. (Lewandowsky, 119)
Ultimately, the choice to overcome incorrect perceptions or beliefs lies at the feet of the
individual. While it can be painful to admit that strongly held ideas are false, the resulting
knowledge that one now holds the truth far outweighs that momentary discomfort. The benefits
of an informed society are more valuable than the temporary costs of wounded pride. We owe it
to not only ourselves, but to our communities to make sure that we are not shackled by false
perceptions. Rather than wait to be dragged out of our caves of ignorance, we should make the
conscious decision to free ourselves and seek out the initially blinding light of truth.
Bass 5

Sources Cited
Adelson, Edward H. Checker Shadow Illusion. Digital image. Checker Shadow Illusion. MIT,
1995. Web. 12 Sept. 2014.

Plato, and Raymond Larson. The Republic. Wheeling: Harlan Davidson, 1979. Print.

Lewandowsky, Stephan, Ullrich Ecker, Colleen Seifert, Norbert Schwarz, and John Cook.
"Misinformation and Its Correction: Continued Influence and Successful Debiasing."
Psychological Science in the Public Interest 13.3 (2013): 106-31. Print.

Keohane, Joe. "How Facts Backfire." Boston.com. The Boston Globe, 11 July 2010. Web. 13
Sept. 2014.