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1. Thinking
for
Yourself

2. Thinking for Yourself
A buffalo story
• Did you know that a
buffalo doesn´t look up
when moving as a herd?
• If a few buffalo in a herd
were startled into running,
the entire group would
follow, even if most of
them had no idea what they
were running from.

3. Thinking for Yourself
A buffalo story
• The Native American hunters
learned that if they encouraged
a few buffalo to start running
towards a cliff, the entire herd
would run off the edge.
• They used this interesting
animal behavior to hunt
buffalo.
• The buffalo followed the
group thinking and couldn’t
stop themselves, even when it
meant their own deaths.

4. Thinking for Yourself
Important
• Although it is quite
impossible to lead people
to run off a cliff, it is easier
to convince them to stop
thinking, following
preconceived ideas and
opinions.
• And that is very
dangerous!

5. Thinking for Yourself
Introduction
• Do you think for yourself?
• In these times of fast media and
ever-growing internet we have
been bombarded by so many
influences that it can be difficult
to know when we are thinking for
ourselves.
• Unless you are a very discerning
and an aware person, you most
likely follow people’s ideas
believing they are your own.

6. Thinking for Yourself
Important - Outside influence
• Not all outside influence is bad
or detrimental to forming your
own views.
• Unfortunately, when we stop
thinking for ourselves, we give
up control and other people can
easily manipulate us, affecting
our ability to make decisions
for ourselves.

7. Thinking for Yourself
It is not an easy task
• Thinking for yourself is not an
easy task.
• Your ability to think is only as
strong as the efforts you put in to
improve it.
• That means learning a lot about
subjects relevant to your life:
– Finance, Health, Psychology,
Science, Philosophy, Business,
Politics, etc.

8. Thinking for Yourself
Learn as much as possible
• If you aren’t learning as much
as possible and digesting that
information, you’ll lose power
to make the best decisions and
you will be forced to rely on
other people, like a buffalo
running towards a cliff.

9. Thinking for Yourself
Main benefits
Development of self-confidence and
trust in your abilities
You attain a greater sense of
accomplishment
You gain respect from others by
standing up for what you believe in
You are more aware and alert of what
people are trying to sell you.
You learn to respect yourself and
pursue what you really want

10. Thinking for Yourself
Main obstacle – “Groupthink”
• “Groupthink” is a psychological
phenomenon that takes place
within a group of people who try
to avoid conflict and reach
agreement without critically
evaluating options or alternative
ideas.
• The problem with “groupthink” is
that it hinders finding the best
solutions, impedes creative ideas
and thwarts independent thinking.

11. Thinking for Yourself
Strategy 01 – Develop a strong sense of self
• Develop a strong sense
of self.
– Know who you are, what
you want and what is best
for you.
– Do not let others tell you
how you should look, feel
and act.
– Do what is best for you.

12. Thinking for Yourself
Strategy 02 – Be well-informed
• 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.
– Take time to reflect and
evaluate.

13. Thinking for Yourself
Strategy 03 – Be flexible
• Be flexible.
– Look for solutions and
outcomes to a situation
from as many perspectives
as you can.
– Determine the pros and
cons.
– Look for the potential
consequences.

14. Thinking for Yourself
Strategy 04 – Identify possible biases
• Identify possible biases.
– Are you being unduly influenced by
your culture, upbringing or other
people's opinions?
– 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
led to believe, we can arrive at a
more appropriate and practical
conclusion.

15. Thinking for Yourself
Strategy 05 – Do not give up under pressure
• Do not give up under pressure,
fear, or guilt.
– Have the courage to stand up for what
you really believe.
– If you have a brilliant idea you should
pursue it before letting people change
your mind.

16. • The following are referenced in this
presentation:
– Scott H Young
http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2008/0
8/04/how-to-think-for-yourself/
– Erin Falconer
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/heres-
a-tip-start-thinking-for-yourself/
– Ben Parr
http://benparr.com/2009/03/think
ing-yourself-business/
– Charles Choi,
http://www.livescience.com/19849-talk-
improves-thinking.html
– Cristina Diaz
http://www.the-benefits-of-positive-
thinking.com/thinking-about-oneself.html
Thinking for Yourself
Our References

17. Thinking for Yourself
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