I think it is significant that the people in the cave where referred to as prisoners. They were prisoners to the false reality that they lived in. No man can be truly free if he lives a lie. Once the prisoner that "escaped" got into the light (or out of the cave) he found the truth. He no longer has to be a prisoner to the false reality that he came from. He can now help his fellow prisoners to find the truth. The only problem may be that the other prisoners may want to stay in their lie because it is safe and it is what they have always known. What man that could be free and know the truth would, given the option, choose to remain a prisoner? The truth will set you free.
commented of MaloryG91's
This is to true. The prisoners could have "escaped" very easily. What's really cool is that it only took the prisoner's head being turned once for him to realize that there was much more around him. Once he had been exposed to a little more reality than he had previously had, he kept moving forward until he could see the sun itself, which symbolized the highest truth in the analogy. One could also argue that a taste of truth leaves one craving for more.
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