Does Having Your Own Way Mean Independent Thinking?

The first thing about independent thinking is being firmly independent. Are you? Do you know what it's all about? Before independent thinking can happen, you have to learn a lot about life first. And I mean a lot. And usually this means learning from others. You cannot learn about life by isolating yourself or always preferring to work alone. I'm a loner and independent thinker, being a non-joiner, but I need others. And yet I don't.

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Even monks had to spend time in monasteries mingling with other monks and Rambo in the army before they could start thinking independently. You cannot remain alone in the mountain wilds to develop independent thinking. Survival in rough conditions, perhaps, but not learn about real life. Yup, experiencing dependence on others as you play, work or deal with them on a regular basis is a must.

So, in  a way, there's no such thing as pure independent thinking. But yes, in a sense, pure independent thinking is real. In many ways it's even necessary, but not a must at all times. Confused? Yeah, real life is like that, more bewildering the more you try to think of it. So a teacher once said, "Don't think much about life. Just live." I agree, and yet I don't.

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You'd get a hint there, if you read the two paragraphs above carefully, why having your own way is independent thinking but it's also not. 

Firmly Independent

Let's start off with being firmly independent. Are you financially independent? Having a job or business doesn't always necessarily mean financial independence. I know folks who became more dependent when they got a job or did a business. Or, are you sure you're socially independent? Even if you live alone or have become well accustomed to being single, you still go out, deal with people and need what they have, like Star Bucks White Chocolate Mocha. 

But don't get me wrong. Being firmly independent is possible and I'm all for it. You just have to accept certain realities in life--like, you need other people to be independent. Once you finally understand this, you become firm about realistic independence and start being firmly independent. I mean, you begin to know some working principles on independence. 

Like, you cannot always have your way if you want to have your way. Get it? We're fond of saying, "I'll do it my way." Yet, chances are, what you claim to be your way has been other's own way, too, probably way back years or decades ago. Even prehistoric times. You cannot claim to own anything as uniquely yours because you never know who really started it--unless you're it's original author, founder or inventor. If not, then you've unknowingly been depending on others' ideas and thought it was solely yours.

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun. [Ecclesiastes 1.9]

Once we realize how we depend on others (often without knowing it) for ideas, and see how it's more like "adopting" them rather than independently making them, we are released from false notions about ourselves, and then we're ready to think independently. Firmly independent means you know where you stand and maintain it with your correct perspective. A wrong perspective is merely building on illusions.

Now You Can Think Independently

So here's how it goes. You realize that before you can decide independently and have it "you own way," you need to consider other possibilities, options or opinions. You need to research, watch and listen. You're not copying from others or asking their input or taking their bright ideas. But there's nothing wrong with weighing things and then developing your own. Doing it "your own way" really means making a conclusion after seeing how others do it. 

It's not making a wheel and trying to re-invent it from scratch (trashing whatever information is already available) and ending up with a box--and then being proud of it because you did it with independent thinking.

Doing it "your own way" really means making a conclusion after seeing how others do it.