Recognizable questions
- Why do I so quickly doubt my own judgment?
- Why do I ask others what they think before I make a choice myself?
- Why does thinking independently sometimes feel scary?
- Why does it feel like I need permission before I’m allowed to make a decision?
- Why do I trust someone in authority faster than my own judgment?
- How do I learn to listen to others without handing over my own thinking ability?
What is autonomous thinking?
Autonomous thinking means that you examine information, weigh arguments, consider different perspectives, and ultimately take responsibility for your own conclusion.
That does not mean you have to know everything yourself.
We all learn from others: parents, teachers, friends, scientists, doctors, books, faith communities, and our own experiences.
So the most important question is not:
“Do I listen to others?”
but:
“Can I listen to others and still ultimately understand for myself why I believe or decide something?”
Autonomy also does not automatically mean that you must come to a different conclusion than your parents, religion, doctor, or environment. You can investigate independently and then arrive at exactly the same conclusion.
The difference is not necessarily in what you decide, but in how you arrive at that conviction.
Autonomy is not the same as doing everything alone
Within the Self-Determination Theory of psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, autonomy is seen as one of three basic psychological needs, alongside competence and relatedness.
In this theory, autonomy mainly means that you experience your choices and behavior as fitting who you are, rather than being imposed solely from the outside. So it does not mean: I don’t need anyone.
You can take advice and still act autonomously.
You can share a religious belief with millions of others and still feel:
“I investigated this myself and I support it.”
And you can make a decision all by yourself while it still hardly feels autonomous, for example when fear or guilt makes you feel there is really only one possible choice.
Why do people trust others?
A child has to rely heavily on others at first. It cannot yet assess the world independently.
Even as adults, we remain dependent on other people’s knowledge.
When a doctor explains how a treatment works, it makes sense that their medical expertise carries weight. The same is true of an electrician, pilot, scientist, or other specialist.
So thinking independently does not mean:
“I know better.”
It can instead mean:
“I recognize your expertise, but I want to understand what your conclusion is based on.”
That distinction matters.
No one can personally verify every claim. We constantly have to decide which sources and people we trust and why.
Why does authority have so much influence?
People do not respond to arguments alone. Someone’s status, position, and perceived expertise can also have an effect.
The classic experiments by Stanley Milgram showed how strongly instructions from an authority figure could influence behavior. The experiments were artificial and highly controversial from an ethical standpoint, so they cannot be directly translated to ordinary religious, medical, or workplace situations. They did, however, provide important research into the influence of perceived legitimate authority on obedience.
That does not mean authority is wrong.
It does mean that a useful extra question is sometimes:
“Do I find this convincing because of the arguments — or is who is saying it to me also a factor?”
We also learn by observing others
Psychologist Albert Bandura showed that people learn a great deal by observing others. We do not just copy concrete actions; we also learn expectations, responses, and ways of judging situations.
Parents, teachers, friends, and other important people can therefore have a major influence on how we learn to think and act. That is a normal part of human development.
So autonomous thinking does not mean that you can or should shut out all influence from others.
Rather, it means that you can more consciously keep asking yourself:
“Where does this conviction actually come from?”
Feelings and independent thinking are not the same
Thinking independently also does not simply mean:
“Always follow your feelings.”
Feelings can contain valuable information, but they can also be influenced by fear, past experiences, expectations, and habits.
Thoughts can also be wrong.
That is why autonomous thinking requires you to compare several things side by side:
your feelings;
your experiences;
facts;
arguments;
the reliability of sources;
other perspectives;
and your own values.
A well-known Bible verse says:
“The heart is more treacherous than anything else.” — Jeremiah 17:9
Within a religious framework, such a text can emphasize that feelings are not always a reliable guide.
Psychologically, that does not have to be a contradiction. Autonomy does not mean that every inner feeling is automatically correct.
It means learning to examine what you think and feel.
How can this be recognizable among Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Among Jehovah’s Witnesses, a great deal of emphasis is placed on study, Bible knowledge, and personal conviction.
An official JW publication for young people, for example, encourages you to convince yourself that what you have learned from the Bible is true and to research questions personally. Another publication says that a person should convince himself or herself that this is the truth and do research when questions arise.
JW.org also says about Bible study that faith is a personal matter and that ultimately each person decides for themselves what to do with the knowledge they have gained.
At the same time, the publications make a distinction between becoming personally convinced and ‘independent thinking’ in the sense of thinking independently of Jehovah or the theocratic leadership.
For example, independent thinking is mentioned in a Watchtower study article from 2024 as something a Christian must guard against. An official 2023 publication also advises not to read, respond to, or spread information considered apostate.
A Watchtower article about making God’s thoughts your own describes the desired process as studying God’s Word, understanding how Jehovah thinks, and then increasingly making that way of thinking your own.
Those different emphases can lead to an interesting personal question:
What does independent research mean to me?
For someone who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the answer may be that through Bible study and researching publications, he or she came to a personal conviction of faith.
A former Witness may later feel that for some questions they mainly searched within a familiar information framework, and only later felt the need to examine other sources or perspectives.
Both experiences can exist.
Psychology does not have to determine which faith conclusion should follow from that.
The psychological question is mainly: does someone experience room to research, understand, and genuinely experience a conviction as their own?
When advice quietly becomes permission
Sometimes it seems as though someone is asking for advice, while in fact something else is happening.
For example:
“What would you do?”
can mean:
“Help me think this through.”
But it can also mean:
“Tell me what I’m allowed to do.”
That difference is not always easy to recognize.
A simple test can be:
“If this person advises something different from what I think myself, do I still feel free to make my own choice?”
When the answer is yes, you are probably using advice as information.
When the answer is no, it may be useful to examine why that person’s opinion has come to carry so much weight.
Independent thinking is not rebellion
Critical thinking does not mean you must automatically oppose existing beliefs.
Rejecting something just because an authority says it, is not necessarily more autonomous than accepting something just because an authority says it.
In both cases, the authority still determines your reaction.
True independence may instead mean:
“I want to first understand what arguments there are.”
You can then say:
I agree.
I disagree.
I’m not sure yet.
I need more information.
All four can be outcomes of independent thinking.
Autonomy also means tolerating uncertainty
A fixed answer brings peace of mind.
“This is how it is.”
can feel much more comfortable than:
“I don’t know yet.”
But independent research sometimes involves a period in which you do not yet have a conclusion.
You may encounter conflicting information.
You may discover that a subject is more complicated than you thought.
You may even change an opinion you have held for years.
That does not have to mean your thinking has failed.
Being willing to revise a conviction when new information gives reason to do so is actually part of careful thinking.
What happens when one familiar compass disappears?
When someone has made important decisions for years within one clear framework, it can feel uncertain when that framework changes or falls away.
Then someone may think:
What do I actually think?
How do I know what is right?
Which source can I trust?
What if I make the wrong choice?
That does not mean someone can’t think independently.
Self-examination and weighing things up are skills. Skills get stronger the more you use them.
So you don’t have to suddenly have a firm opinion about everything.
Autonomy can start with something much simpler:
“I don’t know yet, so I’m going to look into it.”
What can you do with that?
When you examine an important belief or decision, you can ask yourself:
What exactly do I believe?
Where did I learn this?
What evidence supports it?
What arguments go against it?
Which sources am I using, and why do I trust them?
Can I also look at information that does not confirm my current view?
Do I know why someone else comes to a different conclusion?
Am I asking for advice now, or actually for permission?
Am I willing to leave my conclusion open for the time being?
What could make me change my mind?
That last question is especially important.
When the answer is:
“Nothing.”
then it makes sense to ask yourself whether you are still investigating something or just defending an existing belief.
Questions to think about
Which people have a strong influence on the way I think?
Why do I trust them in particular?
Do I feel free to disagree with them?
Can I love someone without sharing the same beliefs?
Do I dare to look at information that challenges my current view?
Which sources do I consider reliable, and why?
Which beliefs have I really examined for myself?
When do I ask for advice, and when am I seeking permission?
Do I dare to say: “I don’t know yet”?
And perhaps the most important question:
Can I explain why I believe something without only saying who taught it to me?
Summary
Autonomous thinking does not mean you don’t need anyone, that you have to know everything yourself, or that you must automatically go against authorities and religious beliefs.
People are constantly learning from one another.
Autonomy is about being able to examine information, ask questions, weigh arguments, and ultimately be able to endorse a belief as your own.
That means you can think independently and still reach the same conclusion as your family, faith community, or an expert.
You can also come to a different conclusion.
And you may not come to any conclusion at all for now.
The key point is not that you have to think differently.
The key point is that you understand why you think what you think and feel room to examine your beliefs honestly.
Sources and further reading
Richard M. Ryan & Edward L. Deci (2000), Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being, American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. An important publication on autonomy, competence, and relatedness as basic psychological needs.
Richard M. Ryan & Edward L. Deci (2017), Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. An in-depth treatment of autonomy and motivation.
Stanley Milgram (1963), Behavioral Study of Obedience, Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67, 371–378. A classic study on obedience and the influence of authority.
Albert Bandura – Social Learning Theory and later Social Cognitive Theory. Bandura’s work shows how people partly learn behavior, responses, and expectations by observing others.
Jehovah’s Witnesses – official publications about convincing yourself of your faith, personal Bible study, and making God’s thoughts your own.
Jehovah’s Witnesses – official publications about independent thinking and information considered apostate. These sources are included here to reflect the organization’s own terminology and guidelines as accurately as possible.
