Ugandan society is becoming more and more conformist, more closed and driven by groupthink, with President Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s centrality clearly detectable. Characterising this trend is the falling number of people who are “open-minded, adequately confident, problem-solvers, honest, exhibit genuine leadership self-aware, active listeners and value research skills”.
Conformists are people who do not challenge what appears to be time-tested behaviour or established practices. Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of people, such as a political party, or parliament, reaches consensus without critical thinking or evaluation of the consequences or the alternatives. Usually, the members of the group accept the decision of the thinker in the groupthink phenomenon without questioning it. We can refer to this as bandwagoning whereby people – in a party, parliament or anywhere – might endorse something regardless of whether they need it, can afford it or even want it. The bandwagon effect is common in Uganda today. It will be seen in making a national budget, in making laws, in even making judicial decisions. Its harm will be felt by Ugandans more strongly in the medium and long term
We have an excess of emotionally-driven, conformist “leaders” more comfortable in groupthink interactions. They add no value to the growth and development of a culture of independent thinking or independent thought. They are definitely “educated” but detest reading beyond their certificates of recognition. They are the sort of people I once described as “educated fools”.
Besides, such people tend to be so fearful that they will do everything possible to devalue diversity, over value monoversity and reduce the proliferation of critical thing and alternative analysis, which they confront as challenges to their own way of thinking and analysis of problems and issues. Tey will be poor at negotiation or bargaining, taking any thing that does not endorse their thinking, analyses, choices or ways of doing things as threats or roadblocks that must be contained. They will do everything possible to eliminate any challenges to their thinking, analyses, choices and way of doing things.
You will find such people in political parties, government, schools and even universities. The are not ready to unlearn or relearn in a century of new and different knowledge production and reintegration of knowledge. They may be open to reintegration of departments, units, agencies, or even political parties, but not to reintegration of minds or aspects of minds. They are stuck to the old and detest the new if the new is at variance with their not-so-much time-tested stances. Yet the new has through the history of huma mind replaced the old. This is supersonically the case in the 21st Century -a century of new communications.
Without independent thinkers we are not likely to get new creativities and new innovations, however much we avail more time, energy and money for our society to have them. Universities where ne creativities and innovations are expected to be the mainstay of academic and intellectual processes will only be accidental rather than intended outcomes.
Independent thinkers have independent mindsets. An independent mindset is a way of thinking characterised by self-reliance and confidence in one’s own judgments and decisions. It involves thinking critically and making choices based on personal values and beliefs rather than external pressures or popular opinions. This mindset fosters creativity, problem-solving skills, and the ability to adapt to new situations without undue influence from others. (Rey, 2025).
I strongly believe that if Uganda is to go forward rather than continue to transgress, we must value and enhance the role of independent thinkers in our society, instead of marginalising, ostracising and dismissing them as anti-progress, anti-development or anarchists bent on deviating society from the correct line. Independent thinking skills are the ability to form opinions and make decisions without being influenced by others.
I have already pointed out the traits of independent thinkers. Let me now say a bit about each of these traits.
Open-mindedness
Open-mindedness is a valuable trait for an independent thinker. Every independent thinker demonstrates open-mindedness when expressing his or her independent thinking. He or she will be adequately critical in thinking as well and understands that virtually all issues have multiple perspectives. He or she is not intellectually rigid and will readily accept a new superior idea to his or hers. He or she can evaluate various concepts and see situations from other people’s perspectives even if those perspectives differ from his or her own. In other words, he or she is ever ready to learn from others to enrich his or her own knowledge and expand his or her wisdom, understanding and insight. Ever unlearning and relearning characterises his or her interactions with others or in society.
Confidence
Anyone with confidence does not entertain fear as a roadblock to his or her freedom to think independently. He or she is ever ready to explore other alternatives or perspectives to an issue or problem that challenge conventional wisdom or views. Having confidence allows him or her to defend his or her viewpoints or even beliefs. Being a critical thinker, he or she is likely to undertake extensive research into all perspectives before formulating an opinion or taking a decision. With such a stance, he or she will become even more confident that his or her conclusion is accurate. Besides, a confident critical thinker who thinking independently will not hesitate to record, in writing and print, his or her thoughts backed by research. Besides, he or she will value criticism and critique as elements in his or her growing and developing confidence.
Problem-Solving
Ultimately all education is or should be for critical thinking, critical reasoning and problem-solving. If one has gone through education but lacks critical thinking, critical reasoning and problem-solving skills then one may be said to have wasted his time. One is likely to be adept at describing things than delving into things critically and solving problems. One will jump problems, or propose strategies intended to skirt the problems, rather than confront and solve them. The other day someone remarked that in Uganda skirting the problem of poverty has become the norm rather than the exception, whereby the regime in power targets 100 people in a parish of say 10000 people with money bonanzas and then propagandises that its solving the poverty problem in the country.
People with problem-solving skills perceive problems as information to help them in the development of a solution. Critical thinkers in their independent thinking are confident in their abilities to solve problems. They understand and value the truism that with patience and appropriate tools nothing is impossible. They detest bandwagoning in solving problems since only one man’s or one woman’s thinking will dominate and universally cast as the thinking of all. Unfortunately, they are an endangered species because they are cast as anti-social and escapists rather than a collective resource that must be nurtured and enabled in an enabling environment. They feel oppressed, repressed and suppressed if they are not doing what they know best: producing knowledge, wisdom and solutions through independent thinking.
Honesty
Independent thinkers tend to be people of character and integrity and in these days when money has been put at the centre of thinking and doing, they regard money as a pollutant and disabler of their trade: thinking independently and critically. One cannot be open-mined without being honest.
By bringing together new ideas all the time without fear or favour they enable their colleagues to think independently, critically, leading to a more innovative, transparent and productive system. This is particularly important in a university where academic and intellectual discourses are nurtured for creativity, innovation, transparency and productivity rather than maintaining or perpetuating the status quo and red tape.
Leadership
There is nothing as universal as leadership. Leadership is required at all levels of society. And in all its history, humanity has allocated a lot of time and energy building leadership. However, many times leadership has been reduced to militarism, monarchism and rulers, thereby reducing it value and quality and causing untold suffering to people in all corners of the world.
Independent thinkers tend to be good leaders because of their impartiality in making decisions. The key quality of independent or critical thinkers is that they are self-motivated people who do not wait for guidance or approval from others to do something. Waiting for guidance or approval delays them, for example, in producing knowledge, wisdom, new understanding and insight. They detest dependence on others. They would rather hungry that be manipulated by others either through monetary or job inducements. Their tendency to listen to all opinions, even on social media, however insulted they are, enables them to adequately meet the interests of others and ensure balanced interchange of ideas. They do not fear to make those who differ from them in the way they think or act their friends on social media because they may learn a thing or two from them and enrich themselves with knowledge, wisdom, understanding and insight.
Active Listening
Most people are quicker to talk than listen. If they are politicians, they hold the thinking that the rest of people are dumb and only need to be told not to be heard from. That also used to be the case in non-andragogic education where a teacher cast himself as all-knowing and perceived learners as know-nothings.
A critical, independent thinker develops a comprehensive perspective of anything by listening to a variety of viewpoints on anything. He or she loves complexity, and by active listening he or she learns a great deal about the complexity of something as people advance their viewpoints about it. Frequently they may seek ideas from their superiors, supervisors and peers to improve their standpoints on something but never sacrifice their independent thought. They can reject the ideas of the others altogether or take aspects of them, but will not dilute their independent thought. Thus, when a critical, independent thinker actively listens – which is both an art and science for him or her – he or she is able to confirm, what the one he or she is listening to is saying, ask pertinent follow-up questions and record information for future reference or use in a book or article. This way his or her book included ideas of others whom he or she frequently cites to remove the possibility of calling them his or hers.
Research Skills
An effective critical and independent thinker backs his or her critical and independent thinking with researched information. He or she must have research skills. This way, he or she will typically consult different sources either when writing an article or book or when solving a problem. He or she may read different academic journals or internet sources, which may include internet-based journals. He or she interprets the content of the sources, confirm their validity and use them to advance knowledge or in the making of new knowledge.
Questioning Norms, Not Just to Oppose
Independent thinkers question norms, but their questioning is not for the sake of opposition. It’s a tool for understanding and evaluating the status quo. When you’re developing your self-standing thought, you learn to ask why things are the way they are. This trait doesn’t mean dismissing every norm but involves a critical evaluation of whether these norms serve a purpose or hinder progress (Rey, 2025).
Values Evidence Over Opinion
For an independent thinker, evidence holds more weight than mere opinions. This reliance on facts over hearsay is key to developing strong thinking skills. It allows one to make decisions confidently, grounded in reality rather than swayed by unfounded assertions. Evidence-based reasoning is a hallmark of analytical thinking and problem-solving (Rey, 2025).
Embracing Change When Necessary
Embracing change is essential for maintaining an independent mind. It involves letting go of outdated ideas and practices when new evidence suggests a better path. This adaptability doesn’t mean being fickle but rather being open to evolving as situations and information change. It’s about having the ability to make informed decisions, even if it means taking the road or pathway less travelled (Rey, 2025).
Seeking Diverse Perspectives
An independent thinker actively seeks out many different people and viewpoints. This approach enhances understanding and empathy, allowing one to connect with people from various backgrounds. By considering a range of perspectives, one can form a more rounded view of the world, which is vital for independent judgment (Rey, 2025).
Trusts Own Reasoned Judgement
Trusting in one’s reasoned judgment plays a key role in independent thinking. It may be difficult at times, especially when your conclusions are something different from the majority. However, relying on your analytical process instils a sense of independence and confidence in your decisions (Rey, 2025).
Admits and Learns from Mistakes.
An independent mind recognizes that mistakes are part of the learning process. Admitting errors is not seen as a weakness but as a step towards growth. This humility and openness to feedback help you find new ways to approach problems and change things for the better (Rey 2025).
Acts with Purpose, Not Impulsively
Independent thinkers act with purpose rather than on impulse. Every decision is made with intention, reflecting one’s values and goals. This deliberateness is important in developing a sense of fulfilment and direction in life (Rey, 2025).
To all thse, we can add: challenging personal biases, being open to new ideas and concepts, independently setting own Life goals, regularly self reflecting honestly, priotising learning over conforming, forming opinions from direct experience, resisting trend-driven decisions, cultivating curiosity, not passivity, valuing internal validation, critically evaluating all information, upholding personal values consistently, consistently and regularly seeking guidance and support, questioning every norm by asking why, broadening horizons through diverse experiences and perspectives, resisting societal pressures, reflecting independently on daily experiences, pursuing personal goals irrespective of external pressures, considering feedback but trusting own judgement, regularly challenging oneself to grow self-reliance, analysing various viewpoints to grow and enhance critical thinking, Following own instincts even against popular opinion, viewing failures as opportunities for learning anew (Rey, 2025).
One thing is true. Uganda needs to cultivate a critical mass of independent thinkers rather than victims of groupthink. Independent thinking fosters a culture of liberty (Walker-Werth, 2024). Therefore, there can be no liberty where there is no culture of independent thinking. When independent thinking is the norm in a society, so is political dissent, passionate philosophic debate, a diversity of art, and easy access to books, courses, and other learning materials. Rand put it in Atlas Shrugged,
“Live and act within the limit of your knowledge and keep expanding it to the limit of your life. Redeem your mind from the hockshops of authority. Accept the fact that you are not omniscient, but playing a zombie will not give you omniscience – that your mind is fallible, but becoming mindless will not make you infallible – that an error made on your own is safer than ten truths accepted on faith, because the first leaves you the means to correct it, but the second destroys your capacity to distinguish truth from error” (Walker-Werth, 2024).
It is possible to become more independent minded regardless of your previous reliance on others. It may require making small changes and taking gradual steps towards independence of thought, but with determination and effort, it is achievable (Rey, 2025). Let’s encourage people to become independent-minded rather than depend on others to think for them. If all thinking emanates from one person there is danger of such a phenomenon sinking everyone in the abyss of disaster and tragedy, which may last for ages. In today’s society, where there is a wealth of information and diverse opinions, embracing an independent mindset is crucial for critical thinking and making informed decisions. It enables individuals to navigate complex situations and adapt to changing environments and or conditions (e.g., Rey 2025).
Therefore, being a good independent thinker is not easy. It involves a wide range of different skills and practices, as outlined above – many cognitive but also many that are more behavioural or attitudinal in nature. And, most importantly, good independent thinking is not simply thinking by oneself and holding one’s views confidently, but rather a combination of thinking carefully and a willingness to engage with others with an open mind and possibly evolve one’s views in response. It’s the ability to detach but without being totally detached! (Owen, 2021).
For God and My Country
Further Reading
Angelica Walker-Werth (2024). How independent thinking fosters a culture of liberty. OSI, March 12 2024, https://objectivestandard.org/blog/how-independent-thinking-fosters-a-culture-of-liberty .Visited on 3 January 2025at 11:54T
Rey (2025). Independent Mindset: Why and How to Become an Independent thinker. Mr Independent,
Owen, Mike (2021). What does it mean to be an Independent Thinker? The Key Qualities and Skills Needed by Leaders Today. Owen Morris Partnership 9 October 2021. https://owenmorrispartnership.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-independent-thinker-the-key-qualities-habits-and-practices-needed-by-leaders-today/ Visited 12: 47pm EAT
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