And when the masses realize that what we are saying about him is true, will they be harsh with philosophers or mistrust us when we say that there is no way a city can ever find happiness unless its plan is drawn by painters who use the divine model? adeimantus: they won't be harsh, if they do realize this. but what sort of drawing do you mean? socrates: they would take the city and people's characters as their sketching slate, but first they would wipe it clean—which is not at all an easy thing to do. and you should be aware that this is an immediate difference between them and others— that they refuse to take either a private individual or a city in hand, or to write laws, unless they receive a clean slate or are allowed to clean it themselves. adeimantus: and rightly so. socrates: and after that, don't you think they would draw the plan of the constitution? adeimantus: of course. socrates: and i suppose that, as they work, they would look often in each direction: on the one hand, toward what is in its nature just, beautiful, temperate, and all the rest; and, on the other, toward what they are trying to put into human beings, mixing and blending pursuits to produce a human likeness…"