Should you value every opinion—or only the opinions of those who understand?

• The Situation: Crito urges Socrates to escape from prison partly because people will judge Socrates and his friends badly if he remains.
• The Analogy: An athlete should follow a knowledgeable trainer, not an uninformed crowd.
• The Argument: In questions of justice and goodness, public opinion matters less than truth and informed judgment.
• The Introspection: Whose approval currently controls your decisions, and are those people qualified to guide you?

## Reference: Plato, Crito, 47a–48a.