Though looks similar, I disagree that what Dai tries to do is same as what Mao did. Mao stuck with 3A because she had no choice in order to beat Yuna. She was not going to do it with flutz, odd flip, loop, and toe loop. Her 3-3 was subject to downgrade. Therefore, 3A was a "practical" choice for Mao if she wanted to win the gold.
For Dai, he can win the worlds without a quad right now. But, he plans to do it anyway (which also differentiates him from Plushenko who had no choice but landing quads to win the gold).
Maybe, it is because he wants to prove something to himself or to his people or a bit of both. To me, it seems he is trying to something meaningful in the way he sees it meaningful.
I guess you're right. I wasn't really trying to compare him with Asada or Plushenko. I didn't intend to sound mean to any of the skaters including Takahashi, so sorry if I offended any fans. It is just that I couldn't agree with him taking highly risky strategy when it can actually decrease his chance of winning as well as hurt the integrity of his performance. He is a skater who more than deserves to be a world champion, and I'd love to see him become one. But if his goal is to achieve something rather than (or even better, in addition to) just winning, I should respect that. I know his program will be enjoyable with or without the quad. I just wish him the best of luck.