What is the Philosophy of Independence?
It is the recognition and acceptance that you are the sole influencer of your own judgment. That you are the principal actor in exerting control in every aspect of your life. In short, the philosophy of independence means that no one can do your thinking or do your actions for you.
We’re talking about the freedom of thought and beliefs. Being independent means that you can listen to other’s views and subject them through a logical filter to determine their accuracy.
The most sinister form of incompetence is the subjugation of your mind to that of another. An example is that of blindly accepting the words of authority or authority figures because of their position. To take their claims as immediate facts and not research them or put them through a critical thinking test.
By seeking, and eventually accepting, intellectual independence you can fight against this. To be free to control your own beliefs and values without having talking heads interfering with them.
In essence, this is a resistance against intellectual dependency. This form of dependency means being reliant on others to formulate your own values and beliefs. Or reliance on favors from others to sustain your life. Of course, I am not talking about occasionally accepting favors from charities or family, but of seeking these in abundance, so you don’t have to acquire it yourself. Perhaps worse than this is through theft. The dependency on seeking from others through stealing from them. Whether direct (taking something from another that is not yours) or indirectly (taking something from another through government benefits).
Independence is the rejection of these dependent actions. In strive of a better and more controlled way of living life. Finding the intellectual philosophy of these methods will lead you to a more rewarding life, free from those you depend on from exerting control over you.
Values
Pick the right values and morals and lead by example. Don’t say you believe in something and then do the complete opposite. The common idiom “practice what you preach” is a reliable phrase. Sometimes you can’t always follow your values immediately. It takes time to get adjusted to a new path. You can’t go from living off government welfare to immediately making 70K and an ardent supporter against it. It takes time to build the network and skills necessary to get there. As long as you’re working toward it, your values will help keep you in line while you take that journey.
The reason why I don’t list values here is because I want you to find your own. Taking others’ values is exactly the opposite of intellectual independence. It makes you impossible to correctly judge the accuracy of their values, and impossible to build off of them. Take some time to research some, and get an idea of how they stack up logically. Then, build off of them. Make them your own. And produce a way to implement them in your life.
Dealing with Reality
The philosophy of independence requires the ability to deal with reality. Simply putting yourself in a bubble and refusing to accept outside influences will not help you find independence. You need to be able to see reality in its terrible glory. And then re-assess your ideas and beliefs to fit this reality.
Every act you take is a reaffirmation of your ability to deal with reality. If you see something that contradicts your pre-held beliefs and simply ignore it or find a logical loophole to not consider it, you’re only harming yourself. It means you’re not able to deal with reality and you can never reach intellectual independence. By taking in new sources and “moving the goalpost” of your beliefs that may be in contrast to the new source, you are doing logical reasoning. And you’ll be better equipped to make a more suitable value and belief structure that holds up against others’.
Being independent requires giving back as much value as you take. If you are in a situation where someone offers superb advice, take that advice and do something with it. If you later can repay this, whether directly or indirectly, you are returning value. By returning value, you help others reach the same path of independence you are taking. And lord knows we need more people contributing to this world instead of leeching off of it.
Experimenting with Independence
Expand your willingness to explore and investigate every claim. Don’t take any articles claims as foul-proof, not even the ones here at The Hidden Dominion. Do your own research. Find your own conclusions. This site isn’t for you to absorb and obey. It’s helping you discover your own way to find conclusions. Use the same principle with everything you read and hear.
Face your own ethics, morals, values, and biases. Every person reading this, including myself, has flaws in their beliefs. No one is fool-proof. The difference between an independent and a dependent person is their ability to face their flaws and try to better them. Actively consider your beliefs and challenge them to prove to yourself if they are morally acceptable.
Independence is Personal
The Philosophy of Independence is not a government or political virtue. It’s a personal one. Dependent on the individual to take on the responsibility.
It’s a virtue to better yourself and to better help you control your life. The ultimate goal, however, is to use your independence to influence others to not be dependent. To be the main actor that encourages others to be like them. Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he’ll become the same example as you were to him.
You’re not infallible. Accept this early and you’ll be in a much better spot than most.
One failure on your own accord is safer than a million truths accepted on blind faith.
Continue reading and check out our article on 32 Basic Life Skills That Everyone Should Master!
