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"The true lover of knowledge naturally strives for truth..." - Plato According to Plato, a person who truly values knowledge does not only seek truth but also rejects popular opinion as the final authority. They persist in their dogged pursuit until they understand everything. Looking at this concept in the light of modern times, there are multiple examples that prove this philosophy is true. As an example, consider a scientist. The average person may base their views on popular belief or incomplete knowledge when it comes to a specific scientific phenomenon. But the researcher, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, keeps digging until they have covered all the bases. An analogy that might help us understand Plato's philosophy better is a historian trying to make sense of long-lost civilisations. Unlike the general public, who are satisfied with simply knowing enough about a historical period to form an opinion, historians will delve further into the subject at hand, assembling historical evidences, documents, artifacts, and the like to reveal the period's actual character and fabric. An educator is yet another exemplar who bolsters Plato's view. A genuine educator, unlike the majority, digs deep into any subject, understands it thoroughly, and then shares that knowledge with their students. They do this out of an eternal devotion to their students and a thirst for knowledge, but it's really for themselves. So, just as it was in Plato's time, the idea that a true seeker of knowledge will not settle for common opinion but will instead push the boundaries until they understand the essence of things is just as relevant and applicable now. True intellectuals are characterized by their dogged persistence; they will not rest until they have uncovered the essence at its core. By escaping the mundane and rising above it all, they reveal deep insights that were previously invisible. They "soar with undimmed and unwearied passion" to gain knowledge, as Plato put it... 🙂