PLATO’s famous warning remains true to this time — that one of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools. The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
Edmund Burke echoed that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
Worst, if the inferior kind is even evil! Why are we allowing this to happen?
The Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in us
Socrates was a politically active figure in ancient Athens who didn’t seek political office. He hung out in the Agora, downtown Athens as it were, and had stimulating conversations with his fellow Athenians, Plato included, that often lasted through the night and endured the drinking of many bowls of wine to last until the next day.
Socrates participated in the Athenian Assembly, served as a juror and even opposed an illegal proposal to try Athenian generals. He was known for questioning politicians and challenging their wisdom, which led to him being accused of, and brought to trial for corrupting the youth and teaching impiety. Ultimately, he was condemned for his teachings and beliefs (even though some historians suggest political motives may have been involved in his trial).
During his time, he felt compelled to enter politics to help improve the city of Athens but realized that the vocation would corrupt him. Socrates says he obtained this insight through his “daimonion,” an inner voice, and decided instead to live in austerity talking to the people of the city directly. Daimonion is Socrates’ special sense that infallibly warned and prevented him from doing something wrong or harmful to himself.
Socrates died in Athens in 399 BC. He spent his last day in prison among friends and followers who offered him a route to escape, which he refused. He died the next morning, in accordance with his sentence, after drinking poison hemlock.
But Socrates had good students who followed his lead. Plato, deemed as his best — if not favorite — later on formed the Academy, which became the center of learning of the Western world. One of the students attracted to the Academy was Aristotle. Aristotle excelled at the Academy to such a degree that he became a teacher there, only to leave the Academy and form his own school — the Lyceum.
Aristotle eventually was asked to return to Macedonia to tutor the son of Philip II, Alexander. The Athenian people in turn asked Aristotle to return to Athens to face charges of corrupting the youth. Alexander promptly conquered Athens.
I am certain that some of the good men and women in our midst have the “daimonion” whispering to them to avoid the mess of politics and stay out of danger. Others pushed and suffered the consequences of such a decision. Figuratively, others may have poisoned themselves to death, yet have left students who brought some changes. Some may have just seen the cycle repeat itself as if we never learned from history.
Good men are often humble and do not require positions of authority for self-validation. In Plato’s writing, good men shouldn’t rise to office because they want it for their own gain. But good men should rise because it is their moral duty to prevent men from doing so.
Our modern Agora
The social media is more powerful than the Agora of Athens, which gathered a few young men.
Filipinos remain the top users of the World Wide Web and various social media platforms (Meltwater). In January 2025, the Philippines had 90.8 million active social media user entities (78 percent of the total population). Filipinos spend an average of eight hours and 52 minutes a day on the internet (global average, six hours and 38 minutes).
The 98.9 percent of Filipino internet users use chat and messenger services each month (global average, 94.5 percent). The 94.2 percent of Filipino internet users use email services each month (global average, 75.0 percent), while 49.5 percent of Filipino internet users use mobile video calling services each month (global average, 35.5 percent).
Filipino internet users ages 16+ spend three hours and 32 minutes on social media each day, ranking No. 4 globally. Filipino internet users actively use about 8.36 platforms each month. Following influencers on social media is huge in the Philippines, with 44.9 percent of internet users ages 16+ following influencers or other experts on social media. This makes the Philippines the No.1 in the world.
YouTube was the most used social media platform at the start of 2025, with an active user base 16 percent larger than second-placed WhatsApp. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok make up the top five.
Social media has the potential to engage in stimulating conversations with risk of having engagements that spark debates and discords. Others just avoid them amid the troll and the “stupid” who are more confident than the expert — as per the explanation of Dunning-Kruger, who empirically cited that indeed the “stupid” are more confident than the real intelligent.
But, yes! Social media has the power to engage.
The election dynamics have changed because of it. It generated colossal revenue not only for the platforms but also created opportunities for influencers and endorsers. It has generated income for the trolls and employment for operators.
It has an algorithm that can be strategically used for messaging purposes. It can purport stories as it can disseminate scandals. It provides a platform for the world to see. It can make viral the flaks that irresponsible candidates may say, even years back. It documents the receipts of past statements, actions and behaviors.
But more importantly, for you and me, it is a means for us to communicate a message and to engage in educating those who need it, and to exchange with all those who matter. Believe me, others may not reply and comment, but they may be influenced.
Hope in the young
Assuming they will come out and vote, the young population can swiftly lead to the victory of national candidates. The Gen Z’s (born 1997 to 2007), who are now between ages 18 and 28 constitute 21.87 million (28.79 percent), and the millennials (born 1981 to 1996), who are now between ages 29 and 44, constitute 25.94 million (43.15 percent). When combined, these two generations have a powerful 47.81 million (69.68 percent) voting population.
We have to use our influence in making them choose well and vote.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. This is another quote from Plato.
Do we have good choices? Yes, there are! Can we do something? Of course! Unless we give up.
Let us not prepare to be ruled by the evil who are inferior. Let us find our own agora and engage. Hope is a currency. Let us find the light and illuminate for the future of our nation and our children.