Be proud to think outside the box because this makes you an independent thinker

Independent thinkers can analyze information without letting their own experiences or personal beliefs get in the way. They do not let emotional conflicts change their opinions. Even if they are not necessarily consciously self-confident, they abide by an inner moral compass that helps them use their logic to differentiate right from wrong.

The cost of independent thinking may cause fights, dismissal, even mental abuse, and exposure to extreme narcissism. This is because your “free” thoughts do not align with the views or the beliefs in your culture, family, job, or social circle.

Despite all this, knowing right from wrong, behaving honorably, and following a good moral compass is still the right thing to do. This can be achieved through independent thinking.

Leaders do not look for safety in numbers. They remain true to themselves always following their moral compass.

Triple check everything and anything anyone tells you whether it’s family members, friends, teachers, or bosses.

You can form your own opinion based on facts, not personal beliefs. It takes courage to follow your thoughts and when you spill your mind, you might become vulnerable to personal attacks.

Being silent often means being safe from attacks on your vulnerabilities. Agreeing with the group is a perfect way to blend in and stay safe. Unfortunately, the world will never evolve if we never challenge those who are wrong. If independent thinkers didn’t exist then the concept of evolution would not exist (Charles Darwin), we would not know the laws of gravity (Isaac Newton). Benjamin Franklin is the only founding father to have signed all four of the key documents establishing the U.S and Winston Churchill had the courage to hold views that were unpopular and recognized the threat posed by Nazi Germany. He was the one who called for British rearmament. Independent thinkers made the world that we live in today, saved lives, advanced science, and contributed to creating a better moral compass for society to live in.

So how does one become an independent thinker?

Know what the argument is about

It is very important to identify and understand the nature of the argument, or way of thinking. When faced with this situation, you must identify the emotions or logic, depending on the nature of their conversation. Don’t just listen with the thought of talking back, listen to understand. Challenge yourself.

Researching the topic itself on your own, to truly understand it without emotion from all sides will liberate you from conforming your thoughts to one particular group of people.

Focus on respect

When faced with different points of view, it’s too easy for people to use derogatory words, become disrespectful, and even turn it into something personal: “You make me feel stupid”

Disrespect of others, belittling others, making others look bad, is not a valid debate. There are no “feelings” when presenting the facts. The only way somebody will get hurt during a debate, is because they desperately want to be right, want their beliefs to be justified, even though the facts they present are questionable “beliefs”. In a healthy debate, each side presents arguments. Shutting someone down with the argument “I believe “is not a healthy debate. for example: “I believe God” is telling me this, or “I believe” my cultural views are telling me that.

A long time ago, people wholeheartedly believed in Zeus, the God of thunder, or that witches caused the plagues. There can only be fights spawning from this type of conversation and it will certainly not expand your mindset, Keep the focus on having a respectful conversation and call out on others to stick to the facts. keep it real.

Study

Read a lot, browse info and never stop learning. Being an independent thinker means that you can gather all the knowledge around you from your moral compass. It will not work if you are not informed. Knowledge from different sources all around the world is power. Don’t just follow the point of view of one person, one government leader, one priest, one anything. You don’t know their motives in the end.

Challenge yourself

If there is a subject that you are having a hard time with, tackle it. Learn its roots, where it came from, why people adopt this way of thinking. There is always a reason and a different perspective. Being open-minded to the things that you disagree with, will help you overcome the pain and emotional attachments that you will feel coming from those sources.

Never worry about being like everyone else

You might have been raised in a certain community, culture, or society and chances are that you’re out of the box ideas were shut down when you opened your mouth. Those incidences are not positive and can hinder a person from becoming an independent thinker out of fear of repercussions. Often the crowds aren’t right, and it’s important to understand that even if it’s you against the world, you actually might still be right. Even if you are alone.

Don’t search for approval from others. Do you. Believe in yourself.