The Allegory of the Cave is a narrative device used by Plato in his well known work, The Republic.

According to the allegory, man’s condition is on of bondage to perceptions. When man is chained up with only a fire behind him, he perceives the world by watching shadows on the wall. He does not realize that there is a world outside of the cave. So long as his basic needs are met, he does not ask questions. This probably a general statement about people who do not overtly seek knowledge or truth, but rather accept what they are told or what they can immediately experience.

A 2000 year old tale that has remarkable insight into who and what we are today.