Best Definition of a Thesis Ever?

The best definition of a thesis I’ve come across can be found in Frank L. Cioffi’s   The Imaginative Argument: A Practical Manifesto for Writers in which he defines a thesis in the context of the argument essay: “It contains a formal statement of an argumentative position (a thesis), something that answers a vitally important question in an unexpected, insightful way.” To write a thesis that answers a “vitally important question” in a way that is “unexpected” and “insightful” is a very high standard indeed but to define the thesis as anything less would be to lie or to water down the truth. Students of writing (I consider myself to be among them) should know exactly how deep the water is before they dive in. Or put it this way: Would you want to enter a jiu-jitsu match if you didn’t know the strength and skill level of your opponent?