It is doubtful to me that many people read Plato anymore. But I have been reading him since age 17, which is to say over four decades by now.
It's funny how I got started with him. At the time (age 17), I picked up Plato — Symposium — for the first time. And, at the very same time, decided to read Sigmund Freud's Introduction to Psychoanalysis.
Well, to make a long story short, even at that tender age, I figured one of these two guys must be totally nutz. I decided the nutty one was Freud. And I've been reading Plato ever since — with great difficulty at first.
So don't feel "embarrassed" about not reading Plato. Practically no one does nowadays. Folks just don't have the patience for it, or see it as relevant to the times we live in.
But Plato was the very first psychologist; he pioneered the field which arguably Freud abandoned. Few psychologists — with the notable exception of Viktor Frankl and his "logotherapy" approach to curing psychic disorders — now follow his (to me enormously valuable) lead.
Unfortunately, what people do "know" about Plato nowadays often is gotten second hand from thinkers like Ayn Rand — who doesn't have a clue about where Plato is coming from, or what his life's work means....
Oh well.... life is short....
Thanks so much for writing, Robert DeLong! (Have we met before?)
No but I used to watch you as a kid. (8>)