THE INDEPENDENT THINKERS DUTIES AND RIGHTS
- the duty to question and verify all forms of convention and authority
- the duty to acknowledge and explore opposing viewpoints
- the duty to not form an opinion until necessary
- the right to withhold your opinion
- the right to change your mind
- the right to make mistakes
- the right to say you don't know
- the right to say you don't care
- the right to say no
The distinction between duties and rights.
A duty is an obligation, an action that must be exercised. A right is an discretionary action that may be exercised, or not exercised, as necessary. A duty is always, an option is when necessary.
1) the duty to question and verify all forms of convention and authority
The most important factor in making a valid decision is to base it on correct information. So testing for bias and looking for errors in all underlying information and assumptions is a fundamental duty, and not an option.
Their can be no sacred cows for the independent thinker. They must be free to ask any question, to doubt any authority, and to follow any path that sound reason and logic suggest.
2) the duty to acknowledge and explore opposing viewpoints
Both sides of any given argument have valid points and the best way to discover them and make a balanced decision, is to look in both directions, and everywhere in between.
You must build arguments both for and against, and discover their strengths and their weaknesses in order to come to a valid conclusion. And even if you have formed a conclusion, it is an acceptable exercise to argue a point counter to your conclusion. You never know what you may discover... you may change your mind... again.
3) the duty to not form an opinion until necessary
"One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds." --- Mahatma Gandhi 1869
Once you form an opinion you are less likely to acknowledge information to the contrary. Therefore it is necessary to delay forming an opinion as long as possible. Let logical conclusions form based on the information currently available, but they must be subject to change if new or additional information becomes available. Don't settle on any conclusion until one is unavoidable.
4) the right to withhold your opinion
"When you've once said a thing, that fixes it, and you must take the consequences." --Lewis Carroll
It is advantageous to withhold your opinion for several reasons. The first is to avoid having people categorize you. Once they have labeled you, they immediately start making other assumptions about your thinking that may not may not be valid, and it is very difficult or impossible to change those perceptions.
Another is, it's more difficult to change your mind if you have publicly invested your ego in a position. It is much easier to change your mind in private than it is in public. And the willingness to change your thinking in response to new and additional information is the hallmark of an independent thinker.
5) the right to change your mind
"The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion." --James Russel Lowell
"Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow." --Sun Tzu
This is a core value of independent thinking, the ability and willingness to change your mind in response to new and additional information. After you have challenged and verified the authority behind the information, after you have explored various sides of an issue and delayed forming an opinion as long as possible, and having finally made up your mind, you still have the right to change it when justified. No matter how much time, energy, or ego you have invested so far.
6) the right to make mistakes
"To make no mistakes is not in the power of man, but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future." --Plutarch
Mistakes are a necessary part of learning. You find out what works and what doesn't work by trying. Therefore each "mistake" you make brings you a piece of knowledge. If you are wrong, you have learned something. If you are right, you have also learned something.
A mistake is not the same as a failure. A failure is trying and quitting, or not trying at all.
So plan on making lots of mistakes. Just make them, learn from them, and move on.
7) The right to say you don't know
It is better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot." --Anatol France
Unless you are a political or religious leader, people don't expect you to know everything. If you act like you do, they will know better (even if you are a political or religious leader.) So by admitting you don't know something, you reinforce your credibility about the things you do know.
Saying you don't know about something is infinitely better than offering an unfounded opinion.
8) The right to say you don't care
Our time and effort are limited resources so we must prioritize our lives and focus on the issues that we find the most important. Leave the other issues to the people who find them important enough to devote their time and effort to.
Don't let others intimidate you because you don't agree with their priorities.
9) the right to say no
Sometimes you don't have the time or resources, or something just doesn't sound right, or you just aren't able to articulate your reasons. When necessary, you can say no without offering a further explanation.