Nietzsche formed his ideas independently. "Self-reliant" is relative - he spent most of his life disabled, living on a pension in Italy. Moreover, I don't thin

Nietzsche formed his ideas independently. "Self-reliant" is relative - he spent most of his life disabled, living on a pension in Italy. Moreover, I don't think Nietzsche advocated that everyone think independently. Following the "order of rank" logic, he might advocate that those of a higher order think for themselves (but even he's concerned with what is healthy for the individual, not what opens the person's mind the most). He'd not want free thinking for those of a lower order of rank (something that indeed doesn't paint ole Fred in the best light).