Thinking for oneself is, beyond a doubt, a laudable goal. But there are three problems with the idea that it is a good way to ward off error. The first is that the glorification of independent thought can easily become a refuge for holders of utterly oddball beliefs.
The second problem is that (as we have seen), our own direct observations and experiences are not necessarily more trustworthy than secondhand knowledge.
The last and most significant problem with the idea that we should always think for ourselves is that, bluntly put, we can’t. Every one of us is profoundly dependent on other people’s minds—so profoundly that if we took seriously the charge to think for ourselves, we would have to relinquish our faith in the vast majority of the things we think we know.
The vast majority of our beliefs are really beliefs once removed. Our faith that we are right is faith that someone else is right.
