What is independent thinking?

Independent thinking is a concept in personal epistemology: Groups exert constant pressure to align your thinking with the group consensus.

Example: You're in a product review meeting. The VP presents a strategy you think has a critical flaw — the assumptions about customer retention are based on pre-pandemic data that no longer holds. You notice the three people who spoke before you all praised the plan. You feel the words rearranging in your mouth. Instead of naming the flaw, you say 'I think the overall direction is strong' and mention a minor formatting issue. You didn't decide to agree. The room decided for you.

This concept is part of Phase 37 (Autonomy Under Pressure) in the How to Think curriculum, which builds the epistemic infrastructure for autonomy under pressure.