But there were those in Nazi-occupied countries who dared to fly close to the sun. First, the most well-known, Oskar Schindler, who saved more than 1,200 Jews by employing them in his munitions factories.
Next is Swiss diplomat Carl Lutz, who saved half of Budapest’s Jewish population by issuing protective documents.
Then there’s teacher Johan van Hulst, who, when the Nazis moved into the Netherlands, saved hundreds of Jewish children by smuggling them out in baskets and sacks.
They all knew the risks they were taking, they knew that their very lives were in danger, but they flew close to the sun anyway.
Other Icarussians (yes, I word mash-up to suit my purposes!) might include Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela – all of whom were bright lights in the darkness of their times.