Right but it's not even a single spectrum. It varies by topic and context. You can be an independent thinker in some regards but highly conventional in others.

Right but it's not even a single spectrum. It varies by topic and context. You can be an independent thinker in some regards but highly conventional in others. As others have pointed out this essay is actually highly conventional for a certain point of view. So whether you're viewed as a conventional or independent minded person is also a subjective factor of the community around you.