Truth be Told

The world is a cave and people are prisoners of it. Those who break free of the

chains get to see the reality outside while those who are left behind ought to believe that

the shadows seen on the walls of the cave are the truth.

Universal access to information has become a battle cry of those who have been

illuminated by the light of knowledge. That access is not something achieved in a blink

of an eye; it demands desire and persistence. One who has found comfort in living a life

of shadows of reality will find it hard and sometimes impractical to break free of the

chains of ignorance; only a few takes initiative in thinking outside the box of consensus

reality and ask questions to discover the truth, if consensus reality known is parallel to

the truth, which, in modern time, mostly can be attained through education.

Education is a powerful tool in eliminating the culture of ignorance and apathy

and reinforces not the truth itself but leading people towards the truth. It is also

noteworthy to say that it is not confined in the four corners of classroom. With the

advancement of technology, one can be educated by facing screens and making good

use of Internet. Education can thus be seen as a portal through which people can have

access to information.

However, it is not enough to merely just gain access to information. In fact, it is

only the first step towards embracing truth. As the portal becomes permeable,

information can be bombarding at times, leading to deception and manipulation if not

handled with proper caution. For instance, while the Internet can surpass the quantity of

information it can provide than that of the books in the libraries, it may fall short in
maintaining the quality it provides to the public; the easiness to access equates its

easiness to publish information without quality control. Thus, it is also important to

evaluate information and filter what should be taken, and what should be rejected. In

this rigorous process, people should not forget to consult the set of shared values as

moral compass not only in evaluating but also in aiding to formulate decisions.

Gaining access to information and having a keen eye for evaluating what is right

and wrong are senseless if kept for oneself. For the purpose of knowledge is action and

not as a label of one’s level of intellect. Just as when Plato wrote the Allegory of the

Cave, he did not intend to sound elitist; instead, he wanted people to utilize knowledge

as driving force in partaking in the affairs of the state. All these information serve as

guiding principles of people in becoming responsible and empowered citizens of a

nation.

As people progress from being prisoners of ignorance to advocates of truth, may

they not forget those who are left in the cave of lies. To gain access to the truth is also

to have the responsibility for others to have access too. It is not enough that someone is

something; the enlightened should uplift those who are in the quicksand of

unconsciousness by going back to the cave, share the light of knowledge to those who

are blinded by lies, and free them from their limited perspective.

Access. Evaluate. Utilize. Share. It is never enough that one has access; it

should proceed to analysis, application, and allocation. Through this, light will be shed

not only to the few but to all, to ensure that no one will be left behind in the cave of

ignorance.