Nurturing Independent Thought.
When I was young, I had two major people shape my character and viewpoints.
My father was a classic academic, book-smart, creative and political. My uncle was intelligent, worldly and probably the most emotionally intelligent person I have ever had the honour of knowing. Both shared the same lesson with me. “Learn to think for yourself”.
As children, my father read us books like George Orwell’s Animal Farm. We spent many early mornings talking about philosophy, the beauty and rigidity of religion and culture. The structure of institutions and the role of creativity. We spoke in depth about how doing the right thing can sometimes be the hardest act and the loneliest road.
My uncle imparted the important life lesson of questioning things further, going deeper to empower yourself with knowledge. He taught me how to ask the questions from angles that mattered, to respectfully observe and learn from others as they move through the world, so that I could try and navigate my own with a balance of information and intuition. He taught me what the word “iconoclast” meant.
There is so much value to these lessons, passed down from men who lived through political turmoil, exile, life-altering decisions and the polarising experience of living between very different cultures and classes. They both came to the teachings from different perspectives but ultimately shared the same message of knowing the value and power of independent thought.
From autonomous thinking, we are able to question and assess beyond what we are told. We are able to create more freely and contribute true value and enrichment. Diversity. We can connect with others through empathy and a genuine desire to understand. Cultivate enough awareness to pause and ask… am I being carried down a path or am I consciously choosing to walk it?
In these lessons, they distilled discernment, direction, conscious curation and a guide to help construct a meaningful code to live by.
Along with long and lively conversations is a list of literature that they shared. Books that inspired me with lessons that stayed with me.
-Animal Farm by George Orwell
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
Freedom From Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, MD.
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.
Maria reflects on the lessons passed down by her father and uncle, two very different men united by a belief in independent thought, and shares the books that helped shape her perspective.