Tips on how to think for yourself:

Develop a strong sense of self. Know who you are, what you want and what is best for you. Do not let others, especially marketing companies and the media, tell you how you should look, feel and act. Do what is best for you. Cultivate your own tastes and enjoy your preferences.
Be well-informed. Gather as much information about a subject as possible before forming an opinion. Build your mental resources by reading, observing, and listening for yourself. Then take time to reflect and evaluate.
Be flexible. Look for solutions and outcomes to a situation from as many perspectives as you can. Determine the pros and cons. Are there other possibilities? Whom might it harm/benefit? What are the potential consequences?
Identify possible biases. Are you being unduly influenced by your culture, upbringing or other people's opinions? Are you being fair and open-minded? Many times we make poor decisions because we begin with the wrong premise. If we take time to evaluate and judge based upon what we observe first hand rather than what we've been lead to believe, we can arrive at a more appropriate and practical conclusion.
Do not buckle under pressure, fear, or guilt. Have the courage to stand up for what you really believe and have deduced yourself. If you go along with the crowd for the sake of keeping peace, avoiding confrontation, or fear of failure, you do everyone a disservice, especially yourself. You may have a brilliant idea, or maybe it happens to be the right thing to do. If no one hears about it, a healthy discussion cannot take place and all possibilities will not be considered. A good idea has the potential to evolve into a better one with input from a variety of sources.

The benefits of thinking for yourself:

• You develop self-confidence and trust in your abilities
• You attain a greater sense of accomplishment
• You expand your mind and boost your brain power
• You gain respect from others by standing up for what you believe in and by being original
• You are more aware and alert to what the media is trying to sell you
• You are more open to self-improvement and alternative viewpoints
• You are more interesting to others by expanding their thinking and options

You are NOT thinking for yourself when:

✓  You let others, the media, or convention sway you from doing what's right for you
✓  You buy into negative, one-dimensional stereotypes based on sex, race or culture
✓  You do something because it has always been done that way - even if it no longer works
✓  You follow old wives' tales, superstitions or fallacies that defy common sense
✓  You don't take time to think things through carefully and fully

As you may have already concluded, thinking for yourself is not easy. It requires deliberate, mindful and at times courageous application, however the personal rewards are endlessly gratifying.