What constitutes a "free-thinker": I'm putting this on the main thread, due to my strong suspicion that it will develop into a political disussion. My question is, what does the term...

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

I'm putting this on the main thread, due to my strong suspicion that it will develop into a political disussion. My question is, what does the term "free thinker" constitute to you? Let's keep it clean and friendly, folks!

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Young Mr. Ghost, I am hoping for a response from you on this subject matter, even if it's just the plain old definition from the dictionary.

rumitoid

slatten49 wrote:

I'm putting this on the main thread, due to my strong suspicion that it will develop into a political disussion. My question is, what does the term "free thinker" constitute to you? Let's keep it clean and friendly, folks!

A "free thinker," to me, is one who finds no subject tabu for exploration, whose thinking is unfettered of convention and not limited by biases or emotions. This person is capable of seeing any subject from a variety of angles, not bound by pre-suppositions or culture or group in their assessment. My thinking will be a bit freer after some more coffee; I may have more.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

rumitoid wrote:

A "free thinker," to me, is one who finds no subject tabu for exploration, whose thinking is unfettered of convention and not limited by biases or emotions. This person is capable of seeing any subject from a variety of angles, not bound by pre-suppositions or culture in their assessment. My thinking will be a bit freer after some more coffee; I may have more.

Thank you. What say the rest of you?

rumitoid

rumitoid wrote:

A "free thinker," to me, is one who finds no subject tabu for exploration, whose thinking is unfettered of convention and not limited by biases or emotions. This person is capable of seeing any subject from a variety of angles, not bound by pre-suppositions or culture or group in their assessment. My thinking will be a bit freer after some more coffee; I may have more.

How I described the nature of a "free thinker" makes that person a considered threat to any group, where conformity to the particular ways and beliefs is taken as central both to cohesivness and order...and t***h. A "free thinker" would be seen as disloyal or contentious for putting forth ideas that fell outside the group's sacred box. How can you trust someone who appears to have no definite base or seems unbound by what defines the group's identity? The military, political parties, and religious organizations would generally not prize such an individual.

We can see here that those not following a particular line of belief and opinion go, to say the least, without expressed appreciate for their input.

I may return after the next cup of coffee.

bottomdawg

A free thinker doesn't readily accept easy answers; he ar she may consider them as patented boredom. One of the requirements of a free thinker is that they read a lot,
and question what they read. been there; done that.
Other comments please.

LAwrence

Someone who investigates the t***h with an open mind.

Augustus Greatorex Loc: NE

slatten49 wrote:

I'm putting this on the main thread, due to my strong suspicion that it will develop into a political disussion. My question is, what does the term "free thinker" constitute to you? Let's keep it clean and friendly, folks!

"Free thinker" is a subjective term used in a passive-aggressive manner to demean and belittle dissenters. Used by imbeciles and morons to describe themselves.

jetson

That's an easy one. Some one with an open mind, that won't let the opinions of others drive him one way or the other, but will research it, and makes his own decision about it. He never allows p***e to get a hole of him after any decision where as, he shuts his mind up and becomes a know it all. An example of this is, have you ever met someone that you were explaining something to, then all at once he was trying to explain it to you, even though what he was saying you knew he knew not much about the subject. I have acquired oodles of knowledge by carefully listening to someone that knows what he is talking about. I've found out if you take interest in the knowledge he is freely giving you he will go overboard and load you up with it. To me free thinking is absorbing the information you can receive from others giving it, if it is a value to you.

rumitoid

Augustus Greatorex wrote:

"Free thinker" is a subjective term used in a passive-aggressive manner to demean and belittle dissenters. Used by imbeciles and morons to describe themselves.

First you say the term is used "to demean and belittle dissenters" and then agree with those who use the term in that way by saying "free thinkers" are actually imbeciles and morons. Now if you wanted to make a distinction between those who self-describe themselves as "free thinkers" and those who do not do so and are thus true "free thinkers," it should have been noted. Or you could have defined "free thinker," which would have cleared up the confusion of your comments.

Edit: It just occurred to me that the another concusion one could come to from your comment is the term "free thinker" is just an appellation without substance, used merely as insult by some and a form of self-delusion in others.

rumitoid

One can question everything and just be contentious or feel superior for their lack of quick conformity or as a "thinker," never really makking an earnest attempt to find the t***h of a subject or situation. A "free thinker" is above all else genuinely curious and explores all possibilities with unbiased passion.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

I will interject here is to quote the Funk & Wagnalls' definition of the term: "One who forms his own religious beliefs without regard to church authority." Now, it is an older dictionary, 1964 original version. Pre: 1970.

I will risk saying that you could (?) add governmental or social authority to that, and still be within the defining terms....maybe not.

In that case, it's possible that most every poster on these forums would consider themselves "free-thinkers"... in one way or the other, perhaps?

How far off-base would that be?

rumitoid

slatten49 wrote:

I will interject here is to quote the Funk & W... (show quote)

Way!

Geno36 Loc: Texas

rumitoid wrote:

A "free thinker," to me, is one who finds no subject tabu for exploration, whose thinking is unfettered of convention and not limited by biases or emotions. This person is capable of seeing any subject from a variety of angles, not bound by pre-suppositions or culture or group in their assessment. My thinking will be a bit freer after some more coffee; I may have more.

Your description is of one who has no standards with which to base an opinion. A free thinker would have to establish some standards and then according to your definition they are no longer a free thinker

rumitoid

Geno36 wrote:

Your description is of one who has no standards with which to base an opinion. A free thinker would have to establish some standards and then according to your definition they are no longer a free thinker

It does appear that way, and that is the usual opinion and fear about "free-thinkers." The curiosity that I speak of allows the person to let the situation or idea "speak" freely, taking it in before assigning a category or condition. Of course, no one is really an unlimited thinker, free of any standards, beliefs, biases, temperament, blind spots, subconscious infuence, and so forth. Also, free thinking without an education and self-awareness is just rambling.

Independent thinker might be a better way to phrase what I am talking about, where the person has his biases and knows this yet is able to view the topic with greater objectivity.