Does the head follow the heart in matters of truth?

[Amarok]

I must disagree . To steal Plato's analogy i think the horses are logic and reason pulling us towards the green pastures and water  of truth . And the driver is emotion filled with fear that his preferences will not be found there .So he struggles against the reins desperate to not go to the truth. Because his perspective that joy and good must look like his delusions . But he will never find happiness in this struggle. He will simply grow exhausted and be miserable . As it is with accepting comforting lies over just letting the truth flow or journeying toward it . 

As for the idea of gain and loss . Having a false idea is no triumph it's standing on a landfill hill in your tighty whities holding a broomstick high like your some form of hero while people laugh at you . Being rid  from such falsehoods is coming down from the hill putting some pants on and putting down the broom . How can that not be a gain ?

Wow. I can see your perspective there, and it's quite interesting. You see the charioteer as the most able to influence the chariot because he has ahold of the horses with bits in their mouths.

In concept, you seem to agree with Plato somewhat. Where you part from him is that you view logic as the most powerful part of human nature. At a cursory glance, I'd have to side with Plato and say that emotions are the strongest, though. Think of it in terms of teenagers. At the age of 15, it is most logical for you to do well in school and set yourself up for a comfortable future. But when you are a teen, you have a lot of lust (which is one of the horses)... ie you'd rather spend the class period flirting with Maggie Henderson than listening to the teacher lecture about history. If you want to do what is wise, you will rein in the desirous horse and direct your attention to the class material.

Your drive to flirt with Maggie is strong. Your drive to pay attention to the history lesson is weak. Wouldn't you say? That's the point Plato is trying to make.

Consider the teenager again . On one hand the horses are tugging him toward his lessons . While the driver in  his lust is  motivated to his comfortable deception and tugs the reins with all his might . One will lead to success and ultimately true happiness if he listens to the horses . While one will convince him to avoid the truth for the pleasures of sex with often dire results . Likely ending in misery and a lack of real fulfillment . I choose the former . And the results that followed a good career and a loving relationship with two women . Many others i knew choose the later and now they are gone in a haze unemployment , Broken families , Suicide , And drugs .

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So you're playing favorites, your head over your heart.  It may be irrational to allow the heart to override the head, but isn't it also heartless to let the head boss it around?

Allowing your heart to override your head can be just as heartless if you don't consider the consequences .