I am having a hard time making connections with Socrates and my everyday life. This line, however, I think is widely evident even today:

"On the other hand, you know that what I said earlier is true, that I am very unpopular with many people. This will be my undoing, if I am undone, not Meletus or Anytus but the slanders and envy of many people. This has destroyed many other good men and will, I think, continue to do so" (31).

Socrates, in 399 B.C., makes a statement about the nature of men that is still true in 2007. Rumors ruin people's lives and their reputations. One can find instances of slander and ugly rumors in any high school in the country. Mean Girls does a good job of showing how badly a rumor can destroy a good person. In this movie, the popular girl Regina George makes a rumor that Janice is a lesbian out of spite. Janice is so hurt by this rumor that it haunts her for the rest of her high school career. No one talks to her; her life turns into a sad lonely journey with revenge as a driving force. People make up rumors about others because they are insecure with themselves. They try to make themselves feel more significant by putting those around them down. Socrates is implying that Meletus is trying to slander his name for these same reasons.