Daredevil Thinking

...challenging what has been defined.
...seeking out truth; whether it be relative or absolute.
...loving when it is forbidden.
...risking without reward.*
...holding onto our human dignity.
...living with purpose.

These are just a handful of the definitions of daredevil thinking.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

To further explain DDT, I will use Plato's famous "Cave" allegory. This was the first image I saw when I starting taking my government class back in high school. Our teacher, Mr. Cooper, had this displayed on the projector screen in a dim classroom. He asked us to write what we thought of the image in a journal entry that would become a regular routine upon entering his class over the course of the semester.

Plato's allegory of the Cave may appear confusing, so I'll do my best to explain what it means and how it relates to DDT. The first thing we see, starting from the right, is a crowd of people of all types and both genders huddled in a dark corner behind a wall. A couple of the individuals here are pointing to the shadows of the angelic statuettes positioned high on the other side of the cave. When we look to this "other side", we see a smaller group people, all standing and wearing fine clothes, and all men save for the one woman on the far left. Above them is a lamp holding a beautiful flame, responsible for casting the shadows of the angelic figurines. Finally, we see a dark entrance to the cave leading outside, where three individuals are gazing busy admiring the sun or sky (or maybe just enjoying small-talk about the weather).

To start off explaining, the group of many in the shadows represent most of the world. They are mostly lost. The faces of the individuals on this side of the cave all appear to have worried looks. They are unsure, confused, and glancing from one to another as if their neighbor might have an answer to their dilemma. Some see the shadows of the figurines being cast on the wall above them. They aren't sure what the shadows are trying to depict. They can make out the outlines of the angels, but they cannot the see the details, or understand how large or small they truly are. Finally, we see one man leaning over from the other side of the wall. Whether he's curious about the "rest of the world" or just trying to pass on a message from the other side, we'll never know; but he catches the attention of some, or look to him with reassured expressions.

On the other side of that wall we see the many groomed men standing in a circle. They appear to be men of dignity, or perhaps they all have an agenda to further their own interests. A woman, the minority, stands off to the side of the group. She is curious, but reserved. Above them is a lamp or a lantern, carrying a brilliant flame that lights up this side of the room. Because of this flame, we can see the refined details of the figurines above them, at equal height to the lamp.

From the top, the figurines represent what we consider to be holy and supreme. They are the fantastical source from which we have derived much of our morality. In essence, they represent God, or religion. The shadows of these figurines are blurred to the group in the shadows. Because a wall separating them from the societal elite, they cannot see the true beauty of these statuettes. The don't see the instruments of the choir, or the feathered wings of the angel.

The lamp, an all its brilliant light, represents human governance. It is not the same as the sun's light, being created by man, but it is enough light for the few on the other side to see and move about. It raised up to the level on which the figurines stand; and the dignitaries below it, though they may see the refinement of religion, pay little attention to it. They prefer to focus on the light given to them by their government. For it appears more logical to them. It helps them to see in the cave, where religion cannot. Note also that these dignitaries are standing tall and proud, and they are wearing finer clothes than most of the people in the dark. These men are the politicians and leaders of their society. They are the ones that call the shots and make the decisions. They define what is, and what is to be.

Now we come to the entrance to the cave and what exists beyond. We see the smallest of groups in the daylight, standing out in the open and enjoying a chat. These few are the ones that dared to venture into the darkened passage that led their fellow man into that cave in the first place. Outside, they see a light that is a thousand times brighter and more true that the flame inside. There are no walls to cast shadows outside the cave, and there different levels on which man can build idols or hang false lights. What they see, and what they are admiring, is Truth.

This Truth is The God, it is the apex of human understanding and wisdom; the pinnacle of intelligence. It is not reduced to the lifeless form of statues, or whittled down to blurred shadows. It is not overcome, let alone challenged, by the corruptible code of human government and society.

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."

-C.S. Lewis

You can hide from Truth in a cave, but you'll be forever lost and confused by illusions and false truths. Daredevil thinking is the way out of that cave. It is the bold steps taken through the entrance of that cave, away from the "dignified" minds of society and the twisted light they call "truth".

That's daredevil thinking. Will you dare to think?

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*Thanks for the assist there, Ethan.