Socrates employs this story in order to illustrate the opposing forces that might exist within a person's mind. In this example, Socrates talks about the story of a man who has two conflicting feelings within himself. On the one hand, the man feels tempted to look at a horrible sight. On the other hand, the man feels disgusted when he does so. This example illiustrates how our desires can sometimes be difficult to reconcile with each other.