evidence: FACT CHECK: Did Plato Say, ‘Be Kind, Everyone You Meet Is Fighting A Hard Battle’? [...] Plato and other ancient philosophers are popular targets for spurious quotations, this case included. His work "Republic," which contains the well-known "Allegory of the Cave," is widely considered a classic of philosophy. The main character in Plato’s literature is typically Socrates. [...] "I’ve read a good bit of Plato in my time, but never encountered a quote like that from him," said Michael Russo, author of "Plato’s Republic: A Study Guide," in an email to the DCNF. Other experts did not recognize the saying either.