They begin to see. Little things, like a crack here or a little insect moving there and so on and so forth, until they feel that every little discovery is a great discovery and revel in having made a new discovery while moving along the same circular tunnel in a chain, a one-line chain, one behind the other, walking and walking and walking.
And, when they sleep, they sleep in chains, lying down where they stand. Well, they can’t lie down, leaning against the walls of the cave they have soon forgotten even how to lie down and sleep. There’s no space, there is no opportunity and therefore, the capacity has been forgotten.
Well, consider this as a speculative story, as a metaphor, as a parable, okay?
Don’t tell me, there cannot be a real situation like this. We’ll come to that.
We do have a real situation or something similar.
As far as the food of these people is concerned, once a day somebody drops food from the outside world through a trapdoor that does not let in any light.
Well, when the trapdoor is open for an inordinately long time, it is possible that a little light might penetrate the darkness. Generally, it does not.
Perhaps, there is a way out. Perhaps, there is something called ‘a way out’ and perhaps, there is something called light outside this little circle in which one is moving.
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