How many people think for themselves anymore? How many really look into an issue, a matter, a concern, and form their own conclusion? How many watch the same news channel on television every day, never switching channels to observe a different opinion or point of view? How many read the same newspaper every day and read nothing else. Many people only want to believe what benefits them, no matter what the consequences within society and the world. How many people really want to learn and understand an issue?

We blind our vision to information we do not want to see and deafen our hearing to that we do not want to hear. We only watch and read those “slanted” news channels that align with our “believed to be clear” thinking. “Clear” by no means, as we do not seek additional information from multiple sources to form our own opinions and thoughts. We often accept the brainwashing from a single source penetrating our minds on a consistent basis. We have joined the groupthink crowd and follow blindly. We refuse to hear any logic that may oppose our thoughts and opinions.

We do not want to associate with those who think differently than us. We build our walls within our minds to only allow entry of “like-kind” thinkers. We are comfortable staying within these walls, as narrow as they may be at times. We believe we are so focused on what is right that, oftentimes, we are just the opposite, completely unfocused. We imprison ourselves from the freedom of challenging our thinking and ourselves. We remain comfortable in this prison, refusing the freedom of exposure to those who think differently. Such exposure makes us uncomfortable and at least within our self-imprisoned minds, we can avoid such discomfort.

The above does not pertain to all; however, I believe a very large segment of the population. Even more troublesome is the fact that this segment is growing exponentially with every passing year. Independent thinking takes effort, takes time, challenges oneself, questions oneself. Only with informed knowledge can one truly focus on the best approach or avenue to address an issue or concern. In addition, our own personal experiences and observations cannot help but be a prominent force in our thinking. We should stand on our own, eliminate the imaginary internal walls within our minds, and allow ourselves the freedom to act and think on our own, the freedom to avoid groupthink.

The continued eradication of independent thinking has, and continues to, negatively affect society, eliminating the freedom of different points of view and different opinions based on one’s life experiences, informed knowledge base, and general freethinking. Unfortunately, independent thinkers are in the minority these days. I hope that within this site and elsewhere, we can promote efforts to bring it back into the mainstream. Can this ever happen or will the true independent thinker eventually be an outcast in society?