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The Independent Thinker Written by

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Patrick King

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Narrated by Russell Newton.

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What does it really mean to be an

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independent thinker?

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In the spirit of originality,

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let’s begin not with the perspective

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of this book’s author,

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but with yours.

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When you opened this book,

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you had a few expectations about what

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you’d find inside,

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as well as some idea of why you were

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reading such a book.

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These expectations may be unconscious,

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or you may be more aware of them.

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But whatever they are,

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they’re an excellent starting point

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for the themes and ideas we’ll be

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exploring in the chapters that follow.

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The Levels Of Mastering Independent

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Thought.

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In choosing this book,

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you’ve already shown a desire for,

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or interest in,

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independent thought.

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Some part of you is already independent.

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And yet,

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ironically,

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in picking up a book that guides and

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teaches you how to be more independent,

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you must necessarily already lack this

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characteristic.

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If you were truly independent,

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you would not need the book,

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right?

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Take a moment to imagine in your

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mind’s eye everything you associate

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with an “independent thinker."

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Imagine it now,

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before you read on.

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Imagine what it looks like,

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sounds like,

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and how you envision you’ll be once

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you are a more critical thinker,

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a more authentic individual and

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self-governing agent able to live in

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the integrity of their ideals,

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instead of other people’s.

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Now,

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this somewhat disheartening start is

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simply to illustrate that many people

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are merely imitating autonomy in the

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personal development world.

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They have a picture of what they think

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this looks like,

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and they try their best to perform that

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image.

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Level 1 - A Patchwork Identity.

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Maybe in your mind,

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you’re attracted to the “cool

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guy” aesthetic that certain

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celebrities,

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authority figures,

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historical personages and fictional

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characters put forward.

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Maybe you like the attitude of the

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rebel,

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who is confident,

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a little arrogant,

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and so,

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so appealing.

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Maybe,

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without realizing it,

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you mimic the mannerisms,

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beliefs,

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thoughts,

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and speech patterns of people you

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admire.

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Or maybe you buy into certain shared

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cultural ideals of what intelligent,

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independent,

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enterprising or creative people ought

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to look like.

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Teenagers are masters at mimicry and

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creating patchwork identities from bits

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and pieces they find in their world.

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It’s as though you show up to the

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great Identity Marketplace,

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being a blank slate yourself,

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and pick and choose the costume and

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role you like best.

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It’s not a personality so much as a

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curated collection.

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While a 13-year-old going through a

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goth phase in the 90s may be a blatant

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example of this,

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we all do it to some extent.

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We even do this when we’re explicitly

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trying not to do it (i.e.,

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“I want to be a truly unique

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individual!

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Now,

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let’s Google some other people who

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are doing that and see how it’s

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done…”).

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This is the first level on the path of

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independent thinking.

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Level 2 - Developing trust in the self.

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If you’ve been in level 1 for any

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length of time,

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you’ll notice something obvious -

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it’s uncomfortable,

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and it doesn’t really “work."

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You don’t feel like yourself because

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you aren’t yourself.

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No matter how compelling and

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well-crafted the patchwork is,

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it’s still just a mask,

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and it doesn’t contain you.

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Now,

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this isn’t a problem.

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Humans are social creatures,

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and imitation is a normal and healthy

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part of engaging the external world.

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But eventually,

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as we develop and mature into our

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authentic selves,

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imitation is not enough.

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In level 2,

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you gradually experiment with being and

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acting in the world as yourself,

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without a mask and the influence of

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other people.

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You begin to tire of other people’s

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filters and interpretations and become

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curious about your own,

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which you realize are valid.

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In all honesty,

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becoming an independent thinker can

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feel scary,

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awkward and outright weird.

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It can also feel lonely,

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like you are suddenly far away from the

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warm,

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comfortable crowd and have to suddenly

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take full responsibility for your own

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reality.

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So,

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in this stage,

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you are experimenting with being more

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independent,

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falling back into convention,

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playing with trial and error to test

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your perceptions,

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and developing resilience for being

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truly autonomous (yes,

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autonomy is a muscle that needs to be

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strengthened!).

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You realize that dependence on the

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external has its advantages and that it

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comes with a cost.

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While it can be intimidating to tune

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out other people’s opinions,

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culture,

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society’s expectations and so on,

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it can also be incredibly rewarding to

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remind yourself of your own sense of

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right and wrong,

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your innate feeling of what you want,

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and your deepest core values.

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Level 2 can be tricky,

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because it’s here that we start to

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encounter our own mindsets,

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biases and assumptions at a level

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deeper than their superficial

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presentation.

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We realize that we,

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like everyone else,

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possess a reality filter.

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We don’t encounter reality,

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but reality as it appears after it’s

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been pushed through this filter.

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The filter takes shape according to our

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past experiences,

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family history,

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cultural environment,

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religion,

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education,

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the historical period we live in,

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and class… .

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We all take in the same data,

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but we come to different

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interpretations of what that data means

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because of our different perspectives.

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The question at level 2 is,

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are the filters working for you?

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What do you want the filters to be?

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Can you live without filters at all…?

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Level 3 - Truly independent thought.

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Follow that line of reasoning long

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enough,

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and you start to understand something

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important - choice.

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As an individual,

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you can choose what material you take

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in,

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choose how you respond to it,

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and choose what you wish to create and

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put out into the world.

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And in that act of choosing,

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you express and experience your own

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perspective,

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desires,

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and will.

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When you choose,

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you self-create.

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When you allow others to choose for

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you,

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then they create you.

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When we are independent thinkers,

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we have our own weight and gravity,

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and stand strong in ourselves,

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regardless of what others are doing or

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thinking.

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We are tuned into our inner compass,

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values,

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and selfhood.

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We look within and evaluate actions and

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ideas according to our own criteria,

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and not criteria we’ve borrowed from

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others or had foisted on us when too

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young to realize.

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We are free,

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and we are consciously participating in

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our life rather than passively

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receiving it,

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pre-digested by others.

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We take responsibility for our

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worldview and perspective (yes –

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it’s our responsibility to know and

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maintain the state of being we choose)

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and engage with the external world with

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an unshakeable sense of our own dignity

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and value.

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We are comfortable testing our own

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assumptions and the assumptions of

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others.

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We don’t just think but reflect on

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our thinking (i.e.,

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metacognition),

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and we realize that we always have the

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power to choose our behaviors,

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thoughts and beliefs.

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We try to understand things from the

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inside out rather than happily

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believing everything we’re told.

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We are no longer an echo of someone

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else’s values or actions or

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perspectives,

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but our own original voice.

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Sounds great,

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right?

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“Think for yourself” is something

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people say,

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but it is an incredibly difficult thing

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to do.

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The world is filled with readymade

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opinions,

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untested assumptions,

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unintelligent biases,

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lazy thinking,

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denial,

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escapism,

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imitation,

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and unchecked ego.

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Ask yourself,

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when was the last time you had a truly

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independent thought?

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Something that your own mind generated,

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and which didn’t come directly from

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more forceful personalities and

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ideologies around you?

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The conventional,

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unadventurous thinker goes out into the

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world and asks,

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“what are the rules of the game here?

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What am I supposed to be doing?"

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In this way,

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he passively asks for the external

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world to tell him what to value,

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focus on,

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feel,

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and want.

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The independent thinker goes out into

296
00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,640
the same world and instead asks,

297
00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:33,240
“what can I create here?

298
00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:34,760
What’s happening,

299
00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:36,840
and how can I learn more about it?

300
00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,840
What could potentially be?

301
00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,600
What do I want to do?"

302
00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,480
There is only one way to think and be

303
00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:46,800
for conventional thinkers,

304
00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,880
and they figure that out by looking

305
00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,320
outside themselves - other people’s

306
00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:52,040
opinions,

307
00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:52,840
culture,

308
00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:53,720
politics,

309
00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:54,360
whatever.

310
00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,120
But to think independently,

311
00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,000
you need to turn within and generate

312
00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:00,680
your own original response,

313
00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:04,600
your own authentic perspective and your

314
00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:05,640
own view on life.

315
00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,120
This is infinitely more valuable than

316
00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:10,760
anything you’ve simply been told,

317
00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,440
because you value yourself,

318
00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:14,760
and you trust what you know,

319
00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:16,200
and what you’re capable of.

320
00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,680
It's a guarantee that almost all the

321
00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:20,360
content you encounter out there in the

322
00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:21,120
world is,

323
00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:21,800
essentially,

324
00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,080
telling you what to do,

325
00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:24,880
think,

326
00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:25,600
feel,

327
00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:26,920
or focus on.

328
00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,040
News headlines,

329
00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,360
social media noise,

330
00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:31,920
junk on the T. V.,

331
00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,240
advertising pasted on every square inch

332
00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:35,720
of your life,

333
00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:36,760
peer pressure,

334
00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:39,760
endless political squabbling... You

335
00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,040
just drift along and go with it without

336
00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:44,080
your own independent thought.

337
00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:47,960
But the next time you see a talking

338
00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:49,720
head on a pixelated screen,

339
00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,720
realize that you have a choice.

340
00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,800
You can become conscious in that moment

341
00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:56,680
and ask yourself,

342
00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:59,760
“this is what this person is creating.

343
00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:00,600
That’s them.

344
00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:02,600
But what do I think?

345
00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,720
What do I want to create?"

346
00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:09,600
Independent is not the Same as

347
00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:10,400
Contrarian.

348
00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,320
When I was a teenager and just becoming

349
00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,640
aware of the possibility of independent

350
00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:16,960
thinking,

351
00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:20,000
I got into the habit of mistaking

352
00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,840
cynicism and distrust for critical

353
00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:23,280
thinking.

354
00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,840
I had correctly learnt that the media

355
00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:27,640
often lied,

356
00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,480
and so every time someone mentioned a

357
00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:31,440
news article,

358
00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:32,960
I would say something like,

359
00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:34,200
“come on,

360
00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,080
you don’t honestly believe everything

361
00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:36,520
you read,

362
00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:37,000
right?"

363
00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,640
This annoying habit had come from the

364
00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,560
unconscious belief that if I wanted to

365
00:11:43,560 --> 00:11:44,720
stand apart and be independent,

366
00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:46,800
all I had to do was push against the

367
00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:47,720
popular opinion.

368
00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,520
I would never have admitted it at the

369
00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:51,880
time,

370
00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,080
but I assumed that intelligent,

371
00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,840
switched-on people were necessarily

372
00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:58,840
argumentative and oppositional.

373
00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:00,160
However,

374
00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,240
I was a contrarian,

375
00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:04,600
and not a truly independent thinker.

376
00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,960
What’s the difference?

377
00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:10,360
The clue is in the name - a contrarian

378
00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:11,960
is contrary to,

379
00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:13,320
or against something.

380
00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,560
You know the bratty two-year-old who

381
00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:18,320
will tell you the sky isn’t blue just

382
00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:19,440
because you said it is?

383
00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,120
This is the position that has,

384
00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:23,160
as its essence,

385
00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:25,840
the fact that it’s not some other

386
00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:26,560
position,

387
00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:27,680
but that’s all it is.

388
00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:30,000
It’s the “anti” position.

389
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:30,640
However,

390
00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:32,920
an independent thinker forms their

391
00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,040
opinions and ideas from scratch,

392
00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:36,560
not merely in opposition.

393
00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:38,960
They do not care about what they

394
00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:40,520
disagree with or dislike.

395
00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:41,000
For them,

396
00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,560
critical thinking is not a competition

397
00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:45,160
with a winner or a loser.

398
00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,160
Something within them guides the

399
00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:49,600
formation of their opinions – their

400
00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:51,320
own experience,

401
00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:52,120
logic,

402
00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:53,160
reasoning,

403
00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:54,560
desires and values.

404
00:12:54,560 --> 00:12:55,720
Sure,

405
00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:57,920
the outcome is often at odds with

406
00:12:57,920 --> 00:12:58,600
convention.

407
00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,800
But being at odds is not the goal.

408
00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,440
There’s usually a hearty dose of

409
00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:05,480
emotional bias,

410
00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:06,640
excitement,

411
00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:07,520
passion,

412
00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,840
or ego driving their resistance for a

413
00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:11,440
contrarian.

414
00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:12,560
For independent thinkers,

415
00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:12,720
though,

416
00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,240
the thought process is less flashy,

417
00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,160
more reason-driven,

418
00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:17,840
and,

419
00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:18,720
well,

420
00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:20,320
not as glamorous!

421
00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,280
Meanwhile,

422
00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:23,200
for contrarians,

423
00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:26,360
the goal may be to bolster a certain

424
00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:27,120
ego-image,

425
00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:31,040
or it may be a deeply unconscious

426
00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,640
psychological need to dominate,

427
00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:34,600
to be heard,

428
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:35,760
to stand out,

429
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,640
or to protect against assumed attack.

430
00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,760
The focus and direction of such

431
00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,600
thinking is external – it pushes

432
00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,800
against other people and attempts to

433
00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,600
certainly affect other people.

434
00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,680
Some find them fun and interesting and

435
00:13:51,680 --> 00:13:52,640
creative and brave,

436
00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,200
while others find them annoying and get

437
00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,120
tangled in arguments with them.

438
00:13:58,120 --> 00:13:59,480
But for independent thinkers,

439
00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,840
other people are… beside the point.

440
00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,240
The goal is to understand.

441
00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:06,360
To figure things out.

442
00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:08,400
What other people think?

443
00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,520
Largely irrelevant.

444
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,000
Now,

445
00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,040
contrarians and independent thinkers

446
00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:16,040
often arrive at the same conclusions,

447
00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,160
but the question is why they end up

448
00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:19,480
there.

449
00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,520
They’ll often do the same actions

450
00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:23,320
(for example,

451
00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:24,440
“question everything”)

452
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,040
but for very different reasons.

453
00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:29,080
Often,

454
00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,040
a genuinely independent thinker will

455
00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:33,600
win the admiration of others,

456
00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,560
who then attempt to mimic that person

457
00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,600
(see level 1 above)

458
00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,440
and attach themselves to that worldview

459
00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:42,720
to be contrarian.

460
00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:44,520
But the independent thinker does not

461
00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:46,960
consider the popularity of his position

462
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:48,520
as an indication of its value – he

463
00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:50,640
isn’t interested in fame,

464
00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,800
but he also doesn’t relish notoriety!

465
00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:58,600
The Fundamentals Of Independent Thought.

466
00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,040
Let’s look at ways to develop

467
00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:02,960
autonomous,

468
00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:04,760
critical thinking in ourselves.

469
00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,640
Independent thinking is not a

470
00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,560
personality trait or fixed behaviors

471
00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,240
but a continually refined attitude

472
00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:15,600
expressed in habits.

473
00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,280
Habit 1 - Critical reading.

474
00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:23,640
To practice and strengthen your ability

475
00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:25,000
to generate your own opinion,

476
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,440
you need to take in information from

477
00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:29,680
various sources and engage with it.

478
00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:33,000
Passive reading merely absorbs the

479
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,400
content with no individual response.

480
00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,120
But critical reading is where you

481
00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,400
practice passing the material through

482
00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:40,960
your filters,

483
00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:42,640
turn it over in your mind,

484
00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,240
and examine it on many levels.

485
00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:50,320
There are two ways to read - Reading

486
00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:51,720
the words (i.e.,

487
00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:53,960
comprehending the surface level meaning

488
00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:54,720
being conveyed),

489
00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:55,480
and.

490
00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,640
Reading beyond the words (i.e.,

491
00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,720
not automatically assuming the words

492
00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:03,880
are a perfect and truthful

493
00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:04,880
representation of reality,

494
00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,160
and becoming curious about how and why

495
00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:09,960
the words have been written as they

496
00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:10,480
have).

497
00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:12,160
For example,

498
00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,600
you may read a popular current events

499
00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:16,920
magazine piece about the dazzling new

500
00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,800
frontiers of cryptocurrencies and how

501
00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,880
tech empires are being built to reshape

502
00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:23,840
the digital world.

503
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,120
If you are just reading the words,

504
00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,320
you merely try to comprehend and absorb

505
00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:30,840
the material as it’s given.

506
00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:34,280
You assume the excitement and optimism

507
00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,360
in the piece is natural and obvious,

508
00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,480
and the author’s opinion is an

509
00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:40,760
objective reflection that this topic is

510
00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:41,080
exciting.

511
00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,080
At the end of the piece,

512
00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,600
you think what the author thinks.

513
00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,920
Or you could read the words,

514
00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,080
and also read what isn’t written -

515
00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,280
What is fact,

516
00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,960
and what is just presented as fact?

517
00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,440
What are the assumptions the author is

518
00:16:58,440 --> 00:16:58,800
making?

519
00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:02,600
In what ways is the reader being led,

520
00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,240
convicted or even manipulated?

521
00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:09,160
Why was this piece published and not

522
00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:10,960
literally any other piece?

523
00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,480
Who is this author,

524
00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,760
and what is their incentive –

525
00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:17,200
economically,

526
00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,040
psychologically or culturally?

527
00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,600
Who benefits from you reading this

528
00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:24,080
article and going along with its

529
00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:24,600
premise?

530
00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:28,560
What is the evidence for the view being

531
00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:29,200
put forward?

532
00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,960
Independent of what the author thinks,

533
00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,360
what do you think about this topic?

534
00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:38,760
You could read to find out what other

535
00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:40,680
people’s opinions are so that you can

536
00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:41,160
have them too.

537
00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,360
Or you can read to gather information,

538
00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:44,680
analyze it,

539
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,840
and use it to inform your own position.

540
00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,680
It’s a mistake to think that

541
00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,200
“critical reading” means exposing

542
00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,120
yourself only to that material you

543
00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:56,240
already like and agree with.

544
00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,680
But an independent thinker is not

545
00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:01,320
threatened by low-quality or

546
00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,600
challenging information – because

547
00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,720
they trust their ability to appraise

548
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,240
and evaluate whatever is in front of

549
00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:10,560
them.

550
00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:14,000
Habit 2 - Not getting too fond of your

551
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:14,960
own perspective.

552
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,920
Don’t be the person who finds their

553
00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,480
position and then clings onto it

554
00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:22,320
forever after,

555
00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:23,360
no matter what.

556
00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:27,200
Humans have a natural bias for

557
00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,720
protecting and defending the opinions

558
00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:30,480
they already hold.

559
00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:33,520
They naturally seek information that

560
00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:34,720
confirms these opinions,

561
00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,200
and work hard to discount everything

562
00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:38,600
that directly challenges it.

563
00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:41,120
To be an independent thinker,

564
00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:43,280
you need to get into the habit of

565
00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,320
poking holes in these cherished

566
00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:45,840
opinions.

567
00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:46,960
Now,

568
00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,440
this is not a cognitive or intellectual

569
00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:50,160
exercise.

570
00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:51,840
It’s a psychological one.

571
00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,880
Most people have ample brain power to

572
00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:56,120
see the plain truth.

573
00:18:56,120 --> 00:18:57,040
However,

574
00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:59,600
even ultra-intelligent people

575
00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,000
jeopardize themselves when allowing

576
00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:02,560
bias,

577
00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:04,640
ego and fear to control them.

578
00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,920
Getting too attached to your

579
00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:09,840
perspective means you don’t abandon

580
00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,880
it when you should – i.e.,

581
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,520
when confronted with ample evidence

582
00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:15,720
that something is rubbish.

583
00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,400
Many people like to style themselves as

584
00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,520
smart philosopher types yet only seem

585
00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:24,160
to invoke their vast intellectual

586
00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,520
powers to reinforce sloppy beliefs and

587
00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,600
opinions they formed without a second

588
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:29,960
thought.

589
00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,560
Be independent of other people’s

590
00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:34,120
opinions,

591
00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:36,960
but free yourself from the chains of

592
00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:38,560
your own outdated opinions,

593
00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:38,960
too.

594
00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:43,040
This takes two things - humility and

595
00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:44,560
curiosity.

596
00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:46,840
Thinking novel,

597
00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,440
original thoughts means we have to go

598
00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:51,160
outside our comfort zone.

599
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:54,320
The biggest threat to generating a

600
00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:55,840
truly unique and new idea is the

601
00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:59,040
assumption that you have the best idea

602
00:19:59,040 --> 00:19:59,480
already!

603
00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:01,960
Independent thinkers can think outside

604
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,840
themselves and try different worldviews

605
00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:05,440
for size.

606
00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,360
They genuinely want to see the world

607
00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:10,640
through the eyes of people different

608
00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:11,080
from them.

609
00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,840
That means that they don’t engage

610
00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,000
others to argue or win them over but to

611
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,480
actively expand their own understanding.

612
00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,840
They don’t read new material,

613
00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,360
get into conversations about the idea

614
00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:25,680
that they need to defend themselves,

615
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:27,800
or forcefully make their point until

616
00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,200
the other person recognizes them as the

617
00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:30,640
winner!

618
00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:36,240
Habit 3 - Being O. K. With Being

619
00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:37,720
Disliked.

620
00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,720
Independent thinking means thinking

621
00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:43,200
that is not dependent.

622
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:43,360
But,

623
00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:45,080
dependent on what?

624
00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:46,560
The thoughts,

625
00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:47,200
opinions,

626
00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,400
reactions or behavior of others.

627
00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:50,160
So,

628
00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,120
you think what you think even if other

629
00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:54,200
people don’t agree,

630
00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:55,640
don’t understand,

631
00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,960
or actively don’t like you because of

632
00:20:58,960 --> 00:20:59,040
it.

633
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,920
It comes down to how you view the

634
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,560
purpose of thinking - For conventional

635
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:04,880
thinkers,

636
00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,000
an opinion or thought is an identity

637
00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:08,320
marker,

638
00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,400
or a stick to beat others with.

639
00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:13,960
It’s something done to win other

640
00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,120
people’s approval or comply with

641
00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:17,080
norms and fashions.

642
00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:19,840
They engage at the superficial level,

643
00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:20,400
i.e.,

644
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,560
within the realm of other people’s

645
00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:23,640
thoughts about reality.

646
00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:25,960
For independent thinkers,

647
00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,280
the primary goal is always to learn,

648
00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:30,440
understand,

649
00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,200
and directly engage with reality.

650
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:34,320
Therefore,

651
00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,040
having their thoughts and opinions

652
00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:38,920
disliked is not a problem.

653
00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,760
It’s far more satisfying to be

654
00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:43,440
respected than to be liked.

655
00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,920
Being the same as people around you can

656
00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:48,320
outwardly make you feel safe and

657
00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:48,800
accepted.

658
00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,840
Isn’t it better to witness and

659
00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:53,800
appreciate the differences in one

660
00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:55,480
another and still respect them and

661
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:56,080
cooperate,

662
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:57,800
not in spite of differences,

663
00:21:57,800 --> 00:21:59,120
but because of them?

664
00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:02,640
Mature adults can disagree without it

665
00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,320
threatening their relationship or

666
00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:05,080
causing trouble.

667
00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,280
They also don’t expect everyone else

668
00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,520
to be identical to them as a condition

669
00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:11,760
of their friendship or affection.

670
00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:15,280
They enjoy and relish challenges and

671
00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:16,680
differences.

672
00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:18,840
They like the friction and find it

673
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:20,280
useful and generative.

674
00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,320
A group where everyone thinks the same

675
00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,600
is not experiencing true harmony and

676
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:26,160
closeness;

677
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:26,880
rather,

678
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,120
they have all merely agreed to mimic

679
00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:30,880
one another in non-threatening ways.

680
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,600
There is one big difference between the

681
00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,560
contrarian thinker and the independent

682
00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,280
one - the ego.

683
00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:39,040
For the former,

684
00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,040
the most important is the ego,

685
00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,080
and their way of thinking and being in

686
00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,640
the world is present to serve that.

687
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:46,720
Meanwhile,

688
00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,880
the most important thing is genuine

689
00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:50,240
insight,

690
00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:51,080
understanding,

691
00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:52,400
creativity,

692
00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,200
and mastery for the latter.

693
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,600
If the selfish ego hinders that,

694
00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,280
then that ego is dropped,

695
00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:01,200
every time.

696
00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:06,960
Habit 4 - Always staying curious.

697
00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,880
The ego wants to have all the answers,

698
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,000
like a precious possession to be

699
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:15,640
hoarded and guarded from others.

700
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,000
Conventional thinkers prefer the

701
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,960
feeling of being seen to be right than

702
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:22,280
they do actually being right.

703
00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,520
One final habit that sets independent

704
00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:27,680
thinkers apart is their commitment to

705
00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:28,360
curiosity,

706
00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:30,600
instead of clinging to assumed

707
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,480
“facts” and never questioning them.

708
00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,520
Genuinely questioning the world is a

709
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,600
lot harder than it looks.

710
00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,960
How many of us assume that if someone

711
00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:42,480
quotes a scientific paper in their

712
00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:43,040
argument,

713
00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:45,440
this is automatically sound and has to

714
00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:46,080
be accepted?

715
00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:49,240
How many of us see statistics and

716
00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,840
assume that it is correct – because

717
00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,240
numbers are more trustworthy than

718
00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:54,680
words,

719
00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:55,240
right?

720
00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:58,520
How many of us believe that if a Doctor

721
00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,120
of Philosophy expert in their field

722
00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:00,800
says something,

723
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:02,200
it must be true?

724
00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:03,160
Well,

725
00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:05,400
this information may be true.

726
00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:06,520
But if it is true,

727
00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:08,520
it’s not because it was in the right

728
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:09,240
publication,

729
00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:10,560
or written by the right author,

730
00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:12,680
using the right terminology.

731
00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,600
It’s true because we could find

732
00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,800
enough sound evidence to support the

733
00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:18,320
fact.

734
00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:22,560
This is a subtle but major distinction.

735
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:23,880
As independent thinkers,

736
00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:25,920
we question everything,

737
00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:29,840
including the ingrained and culturally

738
00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,720
sanctioned methods of questioning what

739
00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:32,640
others have taught us!

740
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:36,200
You are most at risk for sloppy and

741
00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,440
useless thinking when you are most

742
00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,120
blind to your own shortcuts,

743
00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:41,360
assumptions,

744
00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:43,480
prejudices or expectations.

745
00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,960
It’s great to challenge all the

746
00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:47,760
biases you’re already familiar with,

747
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:49,680
but what about all those biases

748
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:50,960
currently invisible to you?

749
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,120
How are you going to uncover them?

750
00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:56,800
Independent thinkers are driven not by

751
00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,120
the desire to conform and win

752
00:24:59,120 --> 00:24:59,920
everyone’s approval,

753
00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:02,760
but they are also not reacting

754
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:06,120
defiantly by being automatic rebels.

755
00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:07,080
Instead,

756
00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,720
they care most about real,

757
00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:11,560
valuable ideas,

758
00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:14,040
thoughts they generate themselves,

759
00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:17,280
and using that power of thought to its

760
00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:18,320
maximum potential.

761
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:22,680
Independent thinkers are driven by a

762
00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,280
passion far greater and more lasting

763
00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,960
than the compulsion to aggrandize the

764
00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,720
self – they want to improve in life,

765
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:31,640
learn,

766
00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:32,480
grow,

767
00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,880
and bring illumination and

768
00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:36,160
understanding to the world in general.

769
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,600
It’s a much bigger prize,

770
00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:39,040
isn’t it?

771
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:43,320
What independent thinking actually

772
00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:43,800
looks like.

773
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,080
At this point,

774
00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,760
let’s clarify a few characteristics

775
00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:50,040
of the independent thinker -

776
00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,040
•They can gain awareness of their own

777
00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:54,440
thinking as thinking,

778
00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,160
and take conscious control over it

779
00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,240
rather than passively and unconsciously

780
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:01,200
going along with others.

781
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,720
•They trust their own perceptions,

782
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:05,440
will,

783
00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:08,840
desires and interpretations and do not

784
00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,120
automatically privilege other people's

785
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:12,120
over their own.

786
00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:15,320
•They are comfortable going outside

787
00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:15,800
their comfort zone,

788
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,600
and don’t mind admitting errors or

789
00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,520
being disliked for their positions.

790
00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:24,760
•They take in enormous amounts of

791
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,040
information but actively engage with

792
00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:28,240
it,

793
00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:29,880
not just on a superficial level but

794
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,680
also critically.

795
00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,120
•They know their cognitive biases,

796
00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:36,560
expectations,

797
00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:37,760
blind spots,

798
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,000
and the ever-present ego and try to

799
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,160
minimize any disturbance to their

800
00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:44,480
genuine understanding.

801
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,480
A conventional thinker occupies a

802
00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:50,320
mental model unconsciously,

803
00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,800
and the model they use may be something

804
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,360
of someone else’s creation.

805
00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:58,800
An independent thinker knows many

806
00:26:58,800 --> 00:26:59,480
mental models,

807
00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,720
and owns their responsibility to choose

808
00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:04,000
which one to occupy,

809
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,560
and for what reasons.

810
00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,040
This section will look at a few key

811
00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:10,640
historical figures who are broadly

812
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:12,280
considered to embody the above

813
00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:13,080
characteristics.

814
00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:16,000
These thinkers and theorists have

815
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,360
demonstrated thoughts and opinions so

816
00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:20,320
genuinely novel and independent,

817
00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:22,520
that they always have changed the

818
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,400
course of history or else drastically

819
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,480
broadened the existing paradigm.

820
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,880
But in reading about these people,

821
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:31,960
we are not trying to answer the

822
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:32,320
question,

823
00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,040
“how can I be more like them?"

824
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,560
That is simply level 1 thinking!

825
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:37,000
Instead,

826
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,920
we want to see what we can learn from

827
00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:40,840
their experience,

828
00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,440
and understand what it says about our

829
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,320
own.

830
00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:46,880
You may wonder if independent thinkers

831
00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,280
are always philosophers and scientists.

832
00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,040
Independent thinking can manifest as

833
00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:53,440
the scientific method,

834
00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,040
but this is not all it is.

835
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,000
Seeking evidence,

836
00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,160
establishing the truth through

837
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,600
experiment and falsifiability,

838
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,520
and using reason and logic are all used

839
00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:06,160
in the sciences,

840
00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,960
but they are more rightly a part of a

841
00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:10,880
broader approach to reality.

842
00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:13,440
You need not be a scientist to be an

843
00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:14,040
independent thinker!

844
00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,000
As long as you are questing for deeper

845
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,320
understanding and will consider your

846
00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,000
role in the equation,

847
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:21,800
so to speak,

848
00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,720
then you are a critical and independent

849
00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:25,040
thinker.

850
00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:28,120
The people we’ll discuss below all

851
00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:31,040
liberally used analytical,

852
00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:31,960
logical,

853
00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:32,960
conscious,

854
00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:34,880
and reflexive mental models.

855
00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,600
These models gave them a richer and

856
00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:39,920
more lively perspective on reality than

857
00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:42,240
people who merely swallowed convention

858
00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:43,760
without a second thought.

859
00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,560
You could argue that independent

860
00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:48,160
thinking should just be called…

861
00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:48,880
thinking.

862
00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,080
Everything else is a knee-jerk

863
00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:51,520
reaction,

864
00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:52,240
habit,

865
00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:52,720
ego,

866
00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,360
coping mechanism or piece of culture.

867
00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,280
Let’s see what we can learn from the

868
00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,200
independent thinking heavyweights.

869
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:04,760
Socrates – teaches us about

870
00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,120
challenging assumptions.

871
00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:10,720
Socrates was basically a one-trick pony.

872
00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,240
That trick?

873
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,000
Asking questions.

874
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:14,640
That’s it.

875
00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,320
Socrates wanted to understand.

876
00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:19,200
He wanted to dig dep,

877
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,520
and when he thought he found an answer,

878
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,320
he questioned that.

879
00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:25,920
He knew that correctly honed mental

880
00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,720
faculties were humanity’s saving

881
00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:28,920
grace,

882
00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:31,560
and he took it as his mission to use

883
00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:32,000
dialogue,

884
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,600
logic and reason to uncover the truth.

885
00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,640
Besides Socrates’ philosophy,

886
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,000
he was known for what’s now called

887
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:41,440
Socratic dialogue.

888
00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:45,000
Reality is revealed to us when we

889
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:46,520
engage with our ignorance.

890
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:47,680
In curiosity,

891
00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,120
we ask questions,

892
00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:51,040
and keep on asking them.

893
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,240
We question even our questions,

894
00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,360
and our means of interpreting the

895
00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:55,880
answers.

896
00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,520
We start from the bare bones,

897
00:29:58,520 --> 00:29:59,960
assume nothing,

898
00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:03,160
and take small logical steps to

899
00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:06,280
discover what we absolutely can know.

900
00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,240
Socrates would demonstrate this

901
00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:12,440
dialectic to uncover hidden assumptions

902
00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,200
in a literal conversation.

903
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:15,960
Step by step,

904
00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:17,560
the Truth is revealed.

905
00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:21,400
In classical Socratic dialogues,

906
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,200
two people discuss higher concepts like

907
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:24,640
virtue,

908
00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:26,320
the nature of knowledge,

909
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:27,160
and art.

910
00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,440
But we can use a similar approach to

911
00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,000
uncover assumptions in our everyday

912
00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:31,680
lives.

913
00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,320
We can ask questions such as - “What

914
00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:37,000
do I mean by X. Y. Z. ?"

915
00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,200
(what assumptions have I made about

916
00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:40,040
definitions?)

917
00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,280
“What is my evidence for thinking

918
00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:43,760
this?"

919
00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:45,880
(do I have any reason to believe it?)

920
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,680
“What do I know here?"

921
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:50,680
(and what am I simply guessing?)

922
00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,960
“What am I (or you)

923
00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:55,280
not seeing?"

924
00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:58,160
(I may have made an error by omission)

925
00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:01,560
Getting a handle on your own

926
00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:03,480
assumptions means being willing to

927
00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:04,640
think from scratch.

928
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,560
Consider even what you think is obvious

929
00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:09,000
and ask,

930
00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:11,320
is it really that obvious?

931
00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:12,280
Is it a given?

932
00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:15,200
You might ask yourself a series of the

933
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:17,480
above questions five times in a row to

934
00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:19,280
get to the root of your deepest held

935
00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:19,720
assumptions.

936
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:22,680
This process might not illuminate the

937
00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:23,040
truth,

938
00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,080
but it will show you more clearly any

939
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,320
impediments to seeing that truth!

940
00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:31,000
“I think I’ve got cancer."

941
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:32,640
Is that so?

942
00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:33,640
“Well,

943
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:35,360
I’ve got this weird lump,

944
00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,240
and I know what that means… cancer!"

945
00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,800
Does a lump always mean you have cancer?

946
00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:42,880
“Well,

947
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:43,560
I don’t know.

948
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:45,160
But I’ve read that it’s a big

949
00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:46,000
warning sign."

950
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:50,000
Is what you read absolute proof that

951
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:51,520
you have cancer right now?

952
00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:52,800
“Well,

953
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:53,680
no,

954
00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:55,200
obviously not.

955
00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:56,800
But I could."

956
00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:59,040
What is the evidence?

957
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:02,000
“There’s no evidence exactly…”

958
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,360
So,

959
00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:04,840
what do you really know?

960
00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:05,960
“Uh.

961
00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:08,840
I guess the only thing I really know is

962
00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:09,840
that I have a lump."

963
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:15,200
Niall Ferguson – teaches us the power

964
00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:17,040
of counterfactual thinking.

965
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:21,400
Famously a historian who wrote about

966
00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,680
alternative history (specifically,

967
00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,600
what life would have been like if

968
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:27,520
Germany had won World War I. I. ),

969
00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,560
author Niall Ferguson was a master of

970
00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,160
using the all-powerful phrase,

971
00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:34,280
what if?

972
00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:37,440
Counterfactual thinking is an

973
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,000
out-the-box approach that is

974
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,080
intrinsically innovative and creative.

975
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,200
Every independent thinker must be

976
00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,520
familiar with the process of seeing

977
00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:48,880
what is… and being curious about what

978
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:49,240
isn’t.

979
00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:50,680
For example,

980
00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:51,440
in business,

981
00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:53,720
you could use counterfactual thinking

982
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,440
to look at past failures and imagine

983
00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:58,280
how things could have played out

984
00:32:58,280 --> 00:32:58,640
differently,

985
00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,920
thus devising an improved strategy that

986
00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,400
prevents those mistakes in future.

987
00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,320
If you’ve asked a question and gotten

988
00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:07,960
a puzzling answer,

989
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,720
it’s counterfactual thinking that

990
00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:12,080
helps you imagine what the right

991
00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:13,120
question would look like.

992
00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:17,000
This thinking style is a little strange

993
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,160
and unfamiliar to those used to working

994
00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,000
only with what’s right in front of

995
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:21,080
them.

996
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:21,360
Still,

997
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,880
for those natural inventors and

998
00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:24,880
creatives of the world,

999
00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,000
thinking about what could be is as

1000
00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,160
important as thinking about what is.

1001
00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,160
When you ask what if,

1002
00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:36,480
you step out of your comfort zone,

1003
00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:38,280
drop all assumptions and pet theories,

1004
00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,440
and take a leap into the possible,

1005
00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:42,480
potential,

1006
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:43,960
and theoretical.

1007
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:47,360
This is where novel solutions are

1008
00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:47,560
found,

1009
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:49,480
new ideas are explored,

1010
00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,200
and fresh views are taken on old

1011
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:53,200
situations.

1012
00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:54,120
In a way,

1013
00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:57,480
Socrates was also a counterfactual

1014
00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,600
thinker in the sense that he repeatedly

1015
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:00,120
asked,

1016
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,920
“what if everything I think I know is

1017
00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:03,640
actually wrong?

1018
00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:05,000
What then?"

1019
00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:09,920
Friedrich Nietzsche – teaches us

1020
00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:10,960
about perspective.

1021
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:14,640
Nietzsche was a philosopher who knew

1022
00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:16,800
how much ego stood in the way of

1023
00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:17,400
understanding,

1024
00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,360
and he made liberal use of teasing,

1025
00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:24,120
criticism and humor to poke holes in

1026
00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:25,840
the prevailing yet unexamined

1027
00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:27,320
ideologies of the time.

1028
00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:30,040
Rather than being a nihilist,

1029
00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,120
Nietzsche was instead keenly aware of

1030
00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,480
the fact that every person inhabits a

1031
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:37,760
particularly conditioned perspective,

1032
00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:40,160
informed by where they’re born,

1033
00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:41,000
when,

1034
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:42,440
how they’re educated,

1035
00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,080
who their parents are and what their

1036
00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:46,320
culture teaches them.

1037
00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:48,400
Unaware of their impact,

1038
00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:51,480
we are slaves to these influences.

1039
00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:53,600
But if we become aware of our

1040
00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:54,400
circumstances,

1041
00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:56,520
we give ourselves choice.

1042
00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:59,120
We master ourselves and the world at

1043
00:34:59,120 --> 00:34:59,360
large,

1044
00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:01,240
and become the creators of our

1045
00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:03,880
experience rather than at its mercy.

1046
00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:07,200
Nietzsche believed that one way to get

1047
00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,680
outside of these perspectives was to

1048
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:12,520
liberally try on as many as possible,

1049
00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:14,880
and genuinely see the world through

1050
00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:16,320
other people’s lenses.

1051
00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,120
Nietzsche said,

1052
00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:21,520
“There is only a perspective seeing,

1053
00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:24,400
only a perspective "knowing";

1054
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:27,480
and the more affects we allow to speak

1055
00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:28,480
about one thing,

1056
00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:29,720
the more eyes,

1057
00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:31,240
different eyes,

1058
00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:33,520
we can use to observe one thing,

1059
00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:36,440
the more complete will our "concept" of

1060
00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:36,960
this thing,

1061
00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:39,560
our "objectivity," be."

1062
00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:40,400
Thus,

1063
00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:43,040
all there is in the world for us as

1064
00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:46,720
human beings are different subjective

1065
00:35:46,720 --> 00:35:48,440
perspectives of that world.

1066
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:50,840
But if we can appreciate as many

1067
00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:52,000
perspectives as possible,

1068
00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,480
we gain a richer and more intelligent

1069
00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:56,640
view of that world.

1070
00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:58,320
For Nietzsche,

1071
00:35:58,320 --> 00:35:59,800
there are no facts,

1072
00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:01,440
only interpretations,

1073
00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,400
and every person adopts their worldview

1074
00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,200
and mental models to serve their needs.

1075
00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:11,680
Our egoism is merely a narrowing of

1076
00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:12,280
perspective;

1077
00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:14,880
to free ourselves as much as possible,

1078
00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,240
we need to widen that perspective and

1079
00:36:17,240 --> 00:36:18,480
mix it up.

1080
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:22,720
One great way to do this - find a point

1081
00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:25,360
of view that is diametrically opposed

1082
00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:25,880
to your own,

1083
00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,280
and pretend it is your own.

1084
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:30,160
Make arguments for it.

1085
00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:31,800
Imagine that,

1086
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:32,560
in its way,

1087
00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:35,400
it makes complete and perfect sense.

1088
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:38,640
Genuinely engage with people who

1089
00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:40,320
disagree with you – imagine that in

1090
00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:40,680
doing so,

1091
00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:44,040
you are accessing another aspect of the

1092
00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,520
issue that you were previously blind to.

1093
00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:48,680
Your world becomes bigger.

1094
00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,240
Summary -

1095
00:36:51,240 --> 00:36:54,640
•Independent thinkers can think

1096
00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:55,160
logically,

1097
00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,760
clearly and autonomously,

1098
00:36:57,760 --> 00:36:59,920
outside the pressures of their

1099
00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:00,320
cultures,

1100
00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:01,520
upbringings,

1101
00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,880
past experiences or historical period.

1102
00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,200
They are conscious and aware,

1103
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,680
rather than reactive and automatic,

1104
00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,520
and can truly think (and experience)

1105
00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:13,360
for themselves.

1106
00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:16,960
•Cultivating independent thought

1107
00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:17,920
takes time and effort.

1108
00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:21,120
The first stage is to assemble a

1109
00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:23,760
patchwork identity as an independent

1110
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:24,040
thinker,

1111
00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,320
and mimic others we see around us.

1112
00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:29,040
The second stage is to gradually

1113
00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:31,920
develop trust in our own perceptions

1114
00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:33,120
and intellectual faculties,

1115
00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:35,680
while occasionally deferring to

1116
00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:36,240
convention.

1117
00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:39,360
The final step is truly independent

1118
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:39,600
thought.

1119
00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:40,800
This free,

1120
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:42,160
adventurous,

1121
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:43,400
creative,

1122
00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:45,800
and proactive thought originates purely

1123
00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:46,200
within us.

1124
00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:49,920
•The fundamentals of critical thought

1125
00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:52,840
include learning to take in information

1126
00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:54,280
(especially reading)

1127
00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:54,840
critically,

1128
00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,480
dropping the ego so that you don’t

1129
00:37:57,480 --> 00:37:59,360
get stuck in any one perspective or

1130
00:37:59,360 --> 00:37:59,800
opinion,

1131
00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:03,000
having the bravery to be disliked for

1132
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:03,600
being different,

1133
00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,880
and maintaining an open and receptive

1134
00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:08,520
rather than closed mind.

1135
00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:12,000
Conventional thinkers differ from

1136
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,000
independent thinkers in their approach

1137
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:14,840
to reality itself,

1138
00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:17,240
and how they see the function of

1139
00:38:17,240 --> 00:38:17,840
thinking.

1140
00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:19,200
For the former,

1141
00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:20,960
it’s to bolster the ego.

1142
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:21,560
For the latter,

1143
00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,880
it’s for the thrill of encountering

1144
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:26,120
reality directly.

1145
00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:29,880
•Independent thinking is a way of

1146
00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:31,880
being that can be practiced and

1147
00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:32,280
nurtured.

1148
00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:34,800
We do this by cultivating awareness,

1149
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:36,400
dropping ego,

1150
00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,040
and learning to engage critically with

1151
00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:40,200
the information we take in.

1152
00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:42,880
This is not the same thing as being a

1153
00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:43,560
contrarian,

1154
00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:45,760
who goes against the grain merely to

1155
00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:46,160
rebel.

1156
00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:49,760
•Many famous independent thinkers

1157
00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:51,800
throughout history shed light on how we

1158
00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,120
might develop the capacity in ourselves.

1159
00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:57,720
Socrates teaches us the power of asking

1160
00:38:57,720 --> 00:39:00,040
questions and uncovering our

1161
00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:01,840
assumptions by taking nothing for

1162
00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:02,280
granted.

1163
00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:05,400
Niall Ferguson teaches us about

1164
00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:06,680
counterfactual thinking,

1165
00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:09,080
and imagining answers to the question

1166
00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:10,160
“what if?”,

1167
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,720
and Nietzsche teaches us the value of

1168
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perspective-switching to enrich our

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perception of the world.

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This has been

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The Independent Thinker Written by

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Patrick King

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Narrated by Russell Newton.