Being Feed In Abraham Lincoln's Apology

The prodigious 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, once said “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” (Lincoln) Such insight can be firmly applied to the dialogue Apology by Plato, in which Socrates offers his argument that he should be penalized by being fed at the Prytaneum. Socrates, a man of substantial intuition, wisdom, and insight, however disliked by the wealthier majority (for apparently corrupting the youth and others by asking questions to the upper class and spreading wisdom), doesn’t hold anything
Sure, the Olympic victors are worthy of great honor for their heroism, but as Socrates explains, spreading new knowledge in a society where it is hard to change ideology is heroic as well. Olympic victors make people feel happy, Socrates doesn’t deny that, but Socrates makes people truly happy. The people of Athens, excluding the nobles, appreciate Socrates’ way of communication and speech. His “I know what I know and that’s all I know” attitude allows the public to embrace him as a reliable leader. Socrates doesn’t make himself out to be any more than he actually is. This humble attribute is largely what creates such a large following for him. Nevertheless, while the victors fight their battle in combat, Socrates continues to fight his fight in the streets. A man who spreads enlightening knowledge is worth just as much, if not more, than a man that spreads victory in sports. So, logically, it simply doesn’t make sense for Socrates to be treated any different than those victors. On another note, Socrates doesn’t understand why being honest with himself and the people should be cause for execution. If the nobility’s beliefs are so self-evidently true, why are they so defensive when questioned? Socrates doesn’t intend to tear down the ideology rather, he wants to point out concepts that could be adjusted. In other words, he wants the people to care for the city itself more than its materialistic aspects. Critiquing the views of the well-respected should be met with open arms rather than execution. Socrates wants to sharpen iron with iron when he questions them, not degrade them. Moreover, the truthfulness of a society can reveal much about its character. Lastly, any form of punishment besides death would just result in a greater audience listening to him. But let’s be clear, people aren’t just listening to Socrates because he is questioning the