1. The Allegory of the Cave represents humans inability to comprehend and believe what they can't see.

2. The shadows and the fire were key elements of he imagery used. The fire represented enlightenment and understanding while the darkness represented the doubt that prevents us from understanding the unknown.

3. The Allegory shows how difficult it can be for people to feel comfortable accepting and believing in the unknown.  Enlightenment shines light or "sun" unto those whose thoughts are clouded by the shadows and allows them to believe in things they can't fully comprehend.

4. The prisoners are confined to the cave and prevented from expanding their mental horizons. All of the prisoners are incapable of understanding anything but the cave. Even their fellow freed prisoners could not convince them of the world waiting around them.

5. Failure. I really am my biggest enemy. I allow my fear of failure to cloud my mind and prevent myself from achieving all that I am capable of.  It's not over until I say it's over but once I convince myself that I can't do anything, the outcome has already been decided.

6. The freed prisoners are open minded and overjoyed while the cave prisoners remain narrow minded and pained.

7. Intellectual confusion and lack of clarity can occur from "too much or too little light". In other words, knowing too much or not understanding enough.

8. The prisoners are typically freed by outsiders of the cave. By working with the prisoners, they are able to free them from the cave . (Interdependence)

9.  There is a distinction between reality and appearance. Looks can be deceiving and lead us from the truth.

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