I think therefore I say

It is, I think, important to take in this framework with some much needed context. Plato, or Aristocles if you prefer his birth name, was deeply embedded in the culture of ancient Greece. If you were to have existed at his time, in his home, the gods were as real as the winds sweeping across the Aegean Sea. As such, all his teachings- his views, beliefs, frameworks and thought constructs- were heavily influenced by the cultural perception of his time and place.

You may be asking yourself, reader who exists in a time where we no longer believe a chariot pulls the sun across the sky, why should I care? An ancient superstitious person, from a long time ago, thought there was a mystical realm that is now obsolete. So what? Why is this important?

I submit- for your consideration- that Plato's 'Realm of Forms' is not only important from a modern context, but has actually gained significance from using our modern lens. All we have to do to find this is shift the location of the Forms from a mystical realm, to the collective ideologies of any given society or culture.

Society, regardless of which culture or society it is, has its own Forms. For the sake of argument- imagine a metaphysical realm built from the consensus of the tribe. Plato argued his Forms were cosmic and eternal- but I would counter that he was standing so close to the mural of humanity that he couldnt see more than his own region's brushstrokes.

In Plato's Forms- the truly most divine of the Forms was the Form of the Good- the ultimate divine light (unlike the messy Gods of the Greek Pantheon). Similarly, in the Middle East it may be Allah. In rural Kentucky, it could be Yahweh. In secular communities, it could simply be the most logical of reasoning or skepticism.

It could be your High School or College.

It could be your neighborhood.

It could be your family.

Every subset of human categorization, however large or small, possesses its own forms. That which by all things are compared.

Growing up with ADHD was a terrible time for me. For those of a "neuro-spicy" persuasion, you will likely understand. We see the studious, the thin, the beautiful, the athletic, the idealized all around us - and when we don't fit those models, we suffer for it.

One of my favorite sayings is that "Comparison is the death of joy." In short, what that means is comparing oneself to others will ultimately rob you of happiness you may otherwise find.

So what is the point? Why are these forms important?

The short answer: They are not.

When every facet of humanity has its own realm of Forms, all of which are as equally reliable as the next, then none are reliable at all.

We spend our lives under a magnifying glass held by our peers and our loved ones. We even hold the magnifying glass above others. We do so because humans are pattern seekers- we want to categorize and compare- but while doing so may cause personal satisfaction for those who compare, it can cause great harm to the compared. And whether it is by others or themselves, everyone is compared.

What do we do then? If there is no true Form to aspire to, then why should we ever roll out of bed? What is the point of doing anything?

The answer is as elegant as it is simple. Choose the Forms you ascribe to. Be active in choosing what you idealize. Create your own metaphysical realm of Forms to guide yourself to your own happiness and fulfillment. Define your ball-est ball. Imagine your reddest red. Choose your most perfect perfect.