"In Book X of Plato's Republic, we encounter a soul who has lived virtuously in heaven but immediately chooses the life of a tyrant when given unlimited options. Plato's explanation is direct: This soul had "participated in virtue by habit and not by philosophy" (619c-d). External circumstances made vice difficult, but the soul never developed true internal governance. The Myth of Er isn't really about reincarnation."
"This pattern appears constantly in contemporary life. The lottery winner who loses everything within five years. The child actor struggling with addiction in their 20s. The young athlete whose sudden wealth and fame lead to personal destruction. Each case illustrates the same ancient truth: External success without internal development creates serious problems. Before winning, many live moderately, pay bills on time, and maintain relationships responsibly. We might assume they possess solid character."
The Myth of Er presents a soul that acted virtuously under limiting conditions but chose tyranny once full freedom arrived. The soul's virtue came from habit, not philosophical self-governance, so external constraints had masked a lack of internal oversight. Modern examples include lottery winners, child actors, and athletes whose sudden wealth and fame reveal undeveloped self-governing capacities. False moderation produced by scarcity collapses when constraints vanish, letting the epithymetikon dominate. True preparation for success demands philosophical development and internal principles, not merely practical safeguards or external limitations.
Read at Psychology Today
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