Some quotations survive centuries because they still describe human behaviour with surprising accuracy. Even in a world of smartphones, artificial intelligence and social media, the ideas written by ancient Greek philosopher Plato still feel relevant. One of his most famous quotes is, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
At first, the quote may seem simple but it has a deep meaning about fear, truth, knowledge and human nature. Almost all understand why a child fears the dark. Darkness is about uncertainty, about the unknown. But Plato thought that there was a very different kind of fear that comes with adulthood. He says the real problem begins when people become afraid of “the light” – truth, wisdom, understanding, self-awareness.
