I completely agree. I’m a gray person myself.

-Scott

Over the years I have confused many friends and acquaintances because I’m not dogmatically right or left wing (I hate those terms – particularly in relation to politics) – on some issues I’m very conservative and on others I’m quite liberal in my opinions.

I feel that both religion and politics are very paradoxical. Fervent belief in both has benefited humanity and at the same time led to some very inhuman behaviour towards others being easily rationlised.

Thanks for a thought-provoking post.

Your post is very timely for me. Just this past weekend I attended an event where I understood what was said and presented, I just didn’t believe or agree with it. The others I spoke to told me that I didn’t believe it because I didn’t understand it. ummmm – nope. I just didn’t believe it.

Thinking for oneself can be especially difficult in a teacher/student environment. There’s a lot of “power” that the teacher holds and, in some cases, the students don’t trust their own knowledge (or their ability to acquire it) so follow the leader. During the event on the weekend, I wanted to agree with the teacher but I couldn’t because it just didn’t “work” for me.

For me, part of thinking for yourself means not just accepting another’s position or opinion for your own but having taken the time to determine if you agree or not with the information presented.

I’m not sure what you mean by self-centered thinking, maybe you can elaborate?

Kali,

Perhaps. I think the “whether it works for you” mindset is a part of free-thinking. But many philosophical systems turn on themselves to encourage you to believe things even when they don’t work for you.

Dave,

If I had a bone to pick with religion or politics, I’d have no problems coming out and writing an attack. But I don’t really. I think, like most parts of modern life they have benefits and drawbacks. I think the point of thinking for yourself is allowing yourself to separate them without becoming a zealot.

-Scott

I think every philosophy has an escape route – it either works for you or doesn’t. While it is true that thinking an idea works for you is self-fulfilling, it is also true that thinking an idea does not work for you is not self-fulfilling.
Now this is where we get really subjective; could a person exist who doesn’t believe ideas more that he or she does? Therefore could this person create a reality where ideas he or she does not believe come true more often than he or she believes?
Or is there some kind of baseline reality set out there that dictates for every belief one does have there exists a belief one does not have and thus everything is left to chance?
I think both realities exist. What are your thoughts?

Great stuff!

When I started reading this I wondered whether some of your readers would readily accept what you’ve written, but as I continued to read, I have to say that I was impressed at the way you’ve expressed your ideas so as not to undermine those with strong religious or political beliefs.

I like to believe that I’m a free thinking individual – but of course that’s not entirely true. Over the years I’ve picked up a certain amount of conditioning and see the world in a way I’ve been ‘trained’ to see it (or in a way I choose to see it).

I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it does help to emphasize your point that it’s important to keep on learning.

With regard to your point about not automatically rejecting that which appears to be a virus…. that would probably apply to my view of what might be termed the ‘Global Warming Bandwagon’. Whilst I do believe that there is a significant truth to Global Warming, I find myself deeply mistrusting of those who pedal the message with such uncompromising zeal, and I feel I want to kick back against the message purely for the way it’s being presented.

Perhaps I’ve developed and anti-authority thing?

Cheers Scott. I enjoyed this article.

Dave

Good post & an effective comeback after your illness.

How thinking for yourself is different from “self centered” thinking?

- Karthik