I remember thinking as a child that if everyone had access to all the important information, the world would naturally become a better place because people would just know better.
We would have a full world history to look back on. As an entire planet of intelligent people, we would learn from the tragedies of the past, build on the ever-growing reservoir of scientific discovery, and take in all the good practices and weed out the rotten ones.
Yes, people would know what happens when governments restrict their citizens’ rights, or feed themselves on the backs of the citizenry without recompense. There would be no need for war, because everyone would know the truth, and that would drive people together.
But people don’t do what’s right just because they find out about it.
The Allegory of the Classroom 2025
It is currently Fall 2025 as I’m writing this article.
I began the year strong and hopeful—laying down expectations, showing multiple examples of proper behavior, and explicitly teaching the right ways to live their best school life. My first year teaching, at that point, I was content to say, “And that’s that,” and be done with the dreariness of stating and restating the rules.
Not this year, though. I’ve had enough years under my belt to know that students do not follow the rules just because they “know” them or have been taught them.
While there are some who will genuinely do the right thing because it is the proper thing to do, I’ve already learned the hard lesson that some students refuse to do what is right on their own. They want what they want, and nothing will stop them. They will not listen to your “please” or the constant calling of their name. They won’t even listen to you when you tell them “Hey. Cut it out!”
You could remind these students 100 times and still, they would continue the unwanted behavior.
That is the norm. Young minds are frequently not mature enough to focus on anything other than themselves.
For these students who refuse to listen, you must bring a consequence. It can be simple. “Try again.” “Take a seat over here instead.” “Is that the message you want me to pass along to <insert parent/guardian’s name here>?”
And the students who really struggle with the rules are the quickest to try and obfuscate the truth. “I didn’t say that.” “That wasn’t me.” “I swear to God!” “What did I do?”
They want the truth to be hidden because they care about themselves. Because they care mostly only about themselves, they want to hide their faults from others and themselves. Fixing a behavior is hard, and hard things don’t feel so good.
You, as the teacher, become the enemy for exposing their faults. They work hard to take you down, question your authority as much as possible, change the climate of the classroom in their favor by wearing you down and making the battle just not worth your time.
But you know what?
You just need to flip that script.
The Allegory of the Cave
Written around 380 BC after his mentor’s death by drinking hemlock, Plato wrote a story involving a cave, a dark cave with glittery lights flickering off of the walls. Flickers and flames, but never real sunlight.
Within the cave, the people were content to live their lives, having a complete understanding of their world. Their world was so small, it was easy to comprehend.
Plato takes the allegory further, and asks what might happen if one man made it out of the cave, saw the real sun, the real sky—the real world in all of its inexplicable complexities? What then?
Well, first, the adjustment would be painful. The cave is so dark compared to the brilliant rays of sunlight. If he could get his eyes to adjust, the man would stumble upon a whole new world, more majestic and magnificent than he could have ever imagined.
Perhaps he would like to share his wonderful and truly marvelous discoveries with his family and friends back in the cave, thinking they too could see what he sees, and enjoy the truth he now enjoys.
However, that is not what will happen. Change is hard. Like the students who would rather cover up their mistakes than fix them, these cave-dwellers would do all in their power to discredit the man as a liar.
In the allegory of the cave, the men who wished to keep their cave clean from this new discovery of blinding truth would rather kill that man than take a single step outside of their comfort zone to accept the truth as it is—blinding and undeniable.
And even if the man is not killed, he will be ridiculed. Anyone he is able to bring outside may very well not stick it out, and flee back into the cave at the first taste of discomfort.
So How Do We Flip the Script?
People often take the path of least resistance. Why should they try too hard for something when there’s an easier way to get what they want? — I’m sure that’s what their subconscious brain is saying.
What if we made working hard and rule-following the easier route?
You know, like make it more difficult for people to break the rules, have actual consequences for crime?
Of course, keep due process and no cruel and unusual punishment—the punishment should adequately fit the crime.
But what if we really made it unpleasant to hurt others, what if it really was unpleasant to trespass on others’ freedoms?
For example, in the early colonial days, Jamestown wasn’t always a bustling place. In fact, a large number of the men who came over on the first ship died.
Shortly after, John Smith took over and told them men, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.”
Those who took it seriously survived. They had to face a hard truth even though it was uncomfortable for them.
Why the Information Age is Dying
The information age erupted with the advent of the world wide web. Once it got going, you could find anything online. Good stuff, bad stuff, communities, endless information.
While there is some pretty heavy censorship online for various reasons, I would like to assert that if people wanted to find information, they still can within reason. The real death of the information age comes from the lack of desire to seek out information.
People are comfortable with their understanding of the world. They don’t seek to expand their horizons or learn new ways to look at a problem.
In fact, even suggesting that a person may be wrong is regarded as a criminal offense, punishable by death or imprisonment (sometimes illegally). I am not strictly talking about government laws. I am also talking about the social contracts that people hold with the internet culture.
It’s given rise to the “If you disagree, I want you dead” mentality. Even questioning someone causes feelings so strong that death threats and jeering ensue.
Just like in the Allegory of the Cave. The man who spoke truth was ridiculed and in some cases beaten for trying to share truth and get those around him to question their “reality”.
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