For his english assignment, zach is writing a brief analysis of the topic of nonviolent tension that he drew from “letter from a birmingham jail.” which sentence best follows the sentence above to clarify king's reference to socrates? tension is necessary in life, which socrates pointed out, and king embraced this concept. socrates' thinking about internal change fit king's theory about external change, so king used this analogy to promote the advantages of adopting his perspective. tension is uncomfortable, and people who are in tense situations will either act to change the situation or remove themselves from the situation completely. socrates' “tension of the mind” promoted a level of discomfort necessary for growth that people learn to analyze in creative ways.