How to "Think Independently"

Finding the right people to collaborate with is not an easy job. Technical skill is common, but the ability to think independently is rare. It is the only competitive advantage that matters; it is what drives good decisions, real problem-solving, and innovation. Unfortunately, school rarely teaches this...often, it rewards the opposite.

It means "Living by your own moral code", choosing your actions based on principles you’ve consciously defined, rather than blindly following social pressure, trends, authority, or convenience.

And when you start thinking independently, at the beginning it feels like loneliness because you stop fitting into the “average mindset,” and fewer people understand your choices. But it’s a specific kind of loneliness it’s more like filtering. Independent thinkers don’t need many people around them. They need the right ones.

Independent thinking is a skill you can train daily; these exercises are a simple starting point:

Question your first thought

Your first reaction is usually borrowed from: habits; society; fear or someone else’s opinion.

Try in any situation to ask yourself: Is this really my conclusion or did I learn it from someone else?

Let's say you feel yourself overthinking a decision, look for the root cause. For example, ask "Why am I overthinking this?" and consider these alternatives:

• Too many unknowns: You simply need more data.

• Emotional fear: You are afraid of making the wrong choice.

• False pressure: The decision isn't actually that important.

Contrarian moment

It’s a mental exercise where you take a common belief everyone accepts…and pause to evaluate the opposite, not because the opposite is always right, but because the opposite reveals blind spots. Most people follow the crowd because it's comfortable and reduces thinking effort but innovation and good decisions come from examining non-obvious paths. Pick one belief where most people follow the crowd and ask yourself: “What if I do the opposite? Does it benefit me?” Independent thinkers always generate multiple interpretations, not one.

Write a short analysis

Choose a theme (money, nutrition, business) and write one structured thought using this simple framework:

Problem: What is the main issue or question?

Assumptions: What are you assuming is true? What might be bias?

Evidence: What facts, data, or observations support your view?

Risks: What could go wrong? What are the limits of your reasoning?

Conclusion: What is the best answer or decision based on the above?

This exercise trains your ability to think logically and independently.

Discover how AI can strengthen independent thinking. Read my last article here: Use AI to improve your Thinking.