To add to others’ disagreements, I think there are two related traps in independent thought First, there is a giant pyramid of knowledge that experts have absor

To add to others’ disagreements, I think there are two related traps in independent thought First, there is a giant pyramid of knowledge that experts have absorbed that the independent thinker hasn’t evaluated. Second, we underestimate the pyramid of knowledge required for independent thought. This doesn’t mean that a non-recognized expert cannot cultivate this knowledge independently, but rather that it is exceedingly difficult to have both and independent and valuable opinion of a wide variety of topics. Now, while this does not account for the possibility of blind spots in fields or bias in experts, it does mean that to have truly independent yet accurate thoughts, you must account for that expertise in the thinking, which is a large task. Do I think it makes more sense to directly read experts rather than secondary and tertiary sources when creating opinions? Yes! However, that isn’t independent thought. Perhaps my counter-proposal is independent thought in areas of expertise, educated opinions based on expertise on topics about which you care, and maintain humility in areas outside that sphere.