Chesterton 's wish for his friends

Was that , like him , they might venture out of the cave.

His biography of GB Shaw
Wouldn't you be glad to have just one friend like Gilbert. One who would tell you what really stinks about what you think; A man who was in love with images, as much as with words ; the world beyond, as much as the world right here .
I love in this book the way Gilbert has a good go at his friend's SHAWS fascinations with all things GREEK . As an environmental sustainability scientist of the 22nd century , I am amazed how this "less than sensitive" critic of science could foresee the century deadening effect on sound science policy that Wells , Shaw and other progressives made by confusing science with technology ;
His friends failed to venture out to study the big picture that Plato described , preferring to spend our taxes experimenting with shadows, speculation and change for changes sake. AS CP Snow also saw, there is more joy in heaven over 2 fighting parties coming together than all the happy huddles in between.