Plato may have never imagined that his cave would survive the centuries and still make so much sense. Or maybe he did imagine it — after all, we're talking about Plato, the guy who questioned reality long before modernity invented the mirror.

They say security is a right. And it is. But like everything in life — including rights — it comes with a price tag. The problem is, unlike shopping mall windows, the cost of security isn't always visible. Sometimes, it hides in the receipt that only shows up later: freedom, paid in gentle installments.