We have freedom of speech but were afraid to speak. Our lives have become subjected to PC tyrannyamp151a constant fear of amp147offending someone. We think that we are independent and that it is the other guy who is influenced brain washed duped persuaded. We feel like we think for ourselves. How can we amp147feelamp8221 otherwise Thereamp8217s no way to know because countless influences and interactions have molded us.Weamp8217re members of various groupsamp151circles of friends family professional groups hobby group and workplace groups. Groups have a way of developing a view that it imposes with a kind of groupthink. We want to belong to be liked and included so go along and get along. We donamp8217t make waves by questioning. If we have a different view we keep it to ourselves. Why rock the boatThinking for yourself is not so easy. When encountering an argument to a long held opinion or a wild idea we use critical thinking to evaluate it as we were taught to do in school. The problem is that critical thinking is critical. It focuses our thinking on the negativeamp151what doesnamp8217t work whatamp8217s wrong with the ideaamp151and encourages myside thinking where we evaluate evidence in a way that favors our beliefs and entraps us into closedmindedness. Thinking for yourself requires openmindedness. Openmindedness is being receptive and when the issue is important calls for actively searching for evidence against your beliefs.Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions. Every intellectual field is born out of a cluster of questions to which answers are needed. Had no questions been asked by those who laid the foundation for a field amp151 for example Physics or Biology amp151 the field would never have been developed.We define tasks express problems and delineate issues with questions. Answers signal an end point and stop thought except when an answer generates a further question.Timothy Leary said amp8221to think for yourself you must question authority