Socrates' is trying to say that it is better to be doing poorly the tasks of poor master than obey the poor master well and imitate his own failures. No knowledgeable person should ever attempt to diminish their own intelligence which is the highest of virtues. No amount of physical suffering can ever come close to matching the "pain" of false knowledge. A false understanding of what is. This to Socrates is paramount. If a philosopher(anyone) is to be able to comprehend the world he needs to see it truly and not through the illusionment of others who believe themselves to be correct.
I don't really find this to be one of Socrates' strong points. In general i like his philosophy but in his "Allegory of the Cave" it is rampant with holes and breaks in completeness. First off it contains a paradox, If some educators are destined to teach those in the light to venture into the darkness and to see it as truth then by this account Socrates' himself could very well be one of these men. If however this were the case then his entire allegory holds to merit. Paramount to his reasoning is that his ideas are necessary to reach enlightenment. He gives no real explanation as to why he is infallible as an educator even within his own terms.
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