To Go Wrong in One's Own Way is Better Then To Go Right in Someone Else's

We live in a world were there are so many things that are competing for our attention. So many ideologies and faiths telling us that they are right. So many people telling us they know the truth. TV programs telling you that they know something you don't. You have doctors telling you how to raise your children, you have scientists telling you how should live your life and what you should believe. Even family members competing for our minds attention. 

And in that world there are two distinct kinds of people. We have those that are independently minded and those that are dependently minded. The dependently minded individuals need someone to tell them what to think. They need to someone to tell them how to react. How to live their life. A good example of this I think is in a religion setting. I have known people who scour the the internet, purchasing books, actively looking for mentors, watching videos, and just looking for someone to tell them how to live their life. The dependently minded individual will accept someone else's view point without merit or reason, and based solely on the fact that they are “more educated” and share a common belief with said individual. In this particular case, they look to something other then what they should. So what are the benefits to being dependently minded you may ask? It's easy. Thinking is a challenge. Especially if your not used to it. Its easier to ask someone else what to think, and why, than it is to figure it out yourself. You don't have to analyze, research, or compare. I believe that is the biggest reason more people are dependently minded. 

The independent individual obviously has a mind of his/her own. They know why they believe what they believe. They don't have a group mindset. They don't follow the herd. They are not sheep. They come to conclusions all on their own, and through their own means. An independent thinker thinks different when something feels wrong. An independent thinker is different. Sometimes an independent thinker can be down right offensive with their ideas. But hey, the value in being an independent thinker is not something to be taken lightly. They go against the grain. They create change, and push others. Their belief system they adhere to is well thought out. Even if they are wrong, like most of us are, they continue to adapt and change. They don't hold themselves down to certain stereotypes and ideologies. It seems that breaking from the meta is their method of operation.

But in the end, I think being a dependently minded individual is actually harder then it seems. It costs you in the long run. The ability to fight through the fog of life and see clearly is something that is lost on you till you decide to change it. Neither class of individual is superior to the other. Its just a mindset. A mindset that, with a little work, can be changed. 

The fog of life is a lot thinner when you think for yourself. 

Your absent minded friend, Jacob