Do you consider yourself truley to be a free-thinker? Do you consider our generation to be?

Question

People are born with their parents' ideas, so is that brainwashing? People, such as in the cases of cults and other very isolated conditions, are being brought up believing in one idea and not being told the truth to anything else. Is that brainwashing? Although it is obvious that many parents pass along their ideas to their children, is this natural or are parents just simply not giving enough of both sides to things? Or are they giving enough for what you may consider the growing population of free-thinkers?

Are you truley a free thinker of are you simply believing what you have been brought up with? Obviously that is not an easy question to ask someone who has been brought up that way throughout life, but are we emulating a free-thinking doctrine or are we really more idealstic than our parents' generation?

Answer 1

-I don't think its brainwashing, its education by your parents and they teach you what they know.

I think people are choosing by some reason being in that religion or cult.

My beliefs don't all go with my religion and my parent's but i'm open to any other theories or beliefs

I think every generation grows up with much more information than the past so maybe the next generations are more open to new ideas..

Answer 2

I guess that makes me one of the fortunate ones, i was always encouraged to think for myself and to learn ALL side of an issue befor making up my mind on where I stand.

as a whole I do not see our socity as free thinking, if it were many of the companies that thrive on poor service or poor quality woundn't thrive, but would waste away, but so many people have to go to Starbucks cause it's "cool" even though anyone with taste buds would run from them, so many people must wear clothes with some clothes makers name in HUGE print on the front because your not cool if you don't wear"sean john" or "eko"

free thinkers wouldn't advertise for free.

Answer 3

Define freedom... i believe is to make options, take decisions among all the "offers" we do have. Some places are narrowed in spirit but that doesn't mean free spirits can't exist in any place . it has a lot to do with attitude. Being shaped by influences is only human and not necessarily bad. bad is to be a prisoner on any influence - any situation where you don't choose. Few situations are simply not options and still might not be bad ones - depend ... some people give us amazing examples of power of freedom exactly for not give up under difficult conditions

Answer 4

I think our parents give us a basic foundation of thinking processes, but as we mature and begin to become exposed to different thinking processes and different experiences we become free thinkers. I do not agree with all of my parents views, but I respect and am loyal enough to my parents to allow them to express them without fear of being humiliated by my constant attacks upon them. I would knowingly defend my parents views in the name of loyalty out of pure respect for them even if they were bias or wrong, because they sacraficed so much for me, which is more than I can say for any establishment. Brainwashing, I don't think so! This is a choice. ;-)

Answer 5

i have my own religious beliefs, but i don't feel i need to tell my parents. i don't really believe in catholicism, i believe in a drastically different branch called christian science.

i initially believed what i was led to believe, but as i got a little older (teens) i realized that i can think for myself.

yes, people are born with their parents' ideas, but if they don't agree with them, they won't necessarily keep believing.

so yes, i do think i'm a moderately free thinker.

but no, my parents never gave me both sides on any issues.

Answer 6

lolololol got to remember this

If you say so

Answer 7

It isn't brain-washing. If your parents teach you something, they are teaching that it might benefit you, because they care.

What do you mean by giving both sides to things? My mother showed me both sides and taught me which was correct. I am a Catholic, but I have seen other people's points of view and the difficulty some opinions present to my religion. Because I accept my religion doesn't necessarily mean that I am not "free."