Plato asks us to imagine an underground cave with an opening that leads to the light.

There are people inside who have been chained since childhood. They are positioned to
face away from the light. There is a low wall directly behind them, and there is a fire
behind it. Men carry statues, animal figures, and other objects along and above the low
wall. Those bound cannot see what is behind them. They can only see the shadows of
themselves and the objects on the wall. The prisoners are the majority of humanity. They
only see slivers of reality and hear echoes of it.

If one of the prisoners managed to escape and become accustomed to the light, he would
be able to see the objects he had previously identified as shadows. He has not, however,
ascended to the world of pure reality. With more determination, the prisoner will emerge
from the cave and into the sunlight. Then he will see the world as it is, including clear
objects and, finally, the sun, which represents the Idea of the Good.

For Plato, the good is the highest and most valuable form:

When the ex-prisoner returns to the cave to try and free the others, his eyes are no longer
used to the darkness. He struggles to see the shadows on the wall. The other prisoners
think he is ignorant and blind. They become hostile and do not want to leave the
cave.

In essence, the cave dwellers are philosophers before enlightenment. And, crucially,

the allegory also addresses the plight that many philosophers face. Rather than being
valued and appreciated, the rest of society (those still in chains) do not listen to the
philosophers. In fact, they actively reject their teachings.

The "Allegory of the Cave" is certainly strange, but there's a reason it's still debated
today. The allegory emphasizes the difficulty of discovering and revealing the truth to
others. In contrast to the current postmodern era, which places too much emphasis on
perception and socio-cultural constructs, Plato believed that the truth was worth seeking,
even if the path to enlightenment was difficult.