Boomerang of Reality
To me the allegory of the cave represents the base level of rationality. For one to be a realist he has to be able to break free from the confinement of the cave. The false perception of reality which one is presented with while being in the cave comes back to materialize itself and become one's true reality. Hence I use the term 'Boomerang of Reality'. Without freeing yourself from the shackles of the cave and seeing the source of the cave's 'perceived' reality in the bare flesh, one can never grasp the truth and can never learn what the real world has to offer. 'The death of fake reality reveals the truth of actual reality before one's eyes'. That's the best way I can sum it up. Now in terms of the cave's shackles one can argue that dogmatic beliefs or the indoctrination at birth is the main constituent of these shackles. Similarly the unanimously accepted societal beliefs and the pre defined 'acceptable' way of thinking are also shackles that bind us to the mouth of the cave. I consider understanding the allegory of the cave as the first and most important step in the path towards intellectualism and critical thinking, both of which are essential towards the completion of self actualization and the maximization of one's true potential!