Think for yourself!

Why do people study (not to be confused with, reading for enjoyment which is another matter entirely) the words of others?

There is only one reason and it is this: because they can not think for themselves. In fact, the unknown, at-the-core concept of all teachings, IS, in fact, to learn how to think for oneself - though none ever state this categorically, like on the first page where it belongs... something like: "If you really want to learn to think for yourself, don't buy this book." (Too much honesty is not often a very wise choice, economically speaking.)

Consider seriously: would you, personally, study this, or that, or any system of "thought" (and I'm NOT talking about air-conditioning systems repair, or four-barrel carburetor rebuilding), if you were capable of discerning the true path for yourself? If so, why -curiosity? Or to become a "teacher" of sorts? What a waste!

The formatory (read: common, automatic) reply to this notion, is "no ordinary human CAN do that, therefore, some external teaching is required." But this is only half-right. True, one must begin by reading something, or at least hearing something, which can enable the person to "get started" (on the "road to find out"). But there is no cosmic law that demands one stays with that, for any particular period of time - once one "gets it," he can and probably should move on. Of course, most don't - get it, or move on, and there are very specific reasons for this, having to do with human genetics, the wiring of the nervous system, the construction and operation of the brain, and the resulting level of consciousness producing and maintaining personality.

For example, most "suitably interested" people have read TONS of literature on the subjects about Awakening, Enlightenment, Waking-up, Liberation but nowhere in the literature can be found specific information about HOW to think for yourself - without the need of the literature. Yes, many claim you will eventually learn how, and there are suggestions to "focus attention", "stay alert", "be intentional in your thinking", etc., but these methods do not help at all. Look at yourself. All they do is strengthen the connection of the person to the literature. More study of a particular system only produces more firm believers.

Heres what Mark Twain (Samual Clemens) had to say about it: from:
http://essayists.8m.com/whatisman.html
"I told you that there are none but temporary Truth-Seekers; that a permanent one is a human impossibility; that as soon as the Seeker finds what he is thoroughly convinced is the Truth, he seeks no further, but gives the rest of his days to hunting junk to patch it and caulk it and prop it with, and make it weather-proof and keep it from caving in on him. Hence the Presbyterian remains a Presbyterian, the Mohammedan a Mohammedan, the Spiritualist a Spiritualist, the Democrat a Democrat, the Republican a Republican, the Monarchist a Monarchist; and if a humble, earnest, and sincere Seeker after Truth should find it in the proposition that the moon is made of green cheese nothing could ever budge him from that position; for he is nothing but an automatic machine, and must obey the laws of his construction."

"Growing up" is all about a "way of thinking," not "what to think." The constant referring to "Things" - ideas, terms, unverified "facts", theories, dead and revered people, mysterious foreign places, all keep formatory people, locked into a mind-set, that leads to nothing fruitful - certainly not to discovering the truth which exists inside them, leading to a grown-up version of "thinking for oneself."

These "Things" mentioned above, are all simply the contents of ordinary consciousness, and continuous adding to, deletion and rearrangement of those contents is tantamount to intellectual death -or professorship. And nearly all people who discover a non-ordinary consciousness might be possible, immediately feel the need to "get connected" with some group, some system, some Thing - to "belong to something" - because they fear "walking alone" - for something they usually believe is so damn "IMPORTANT" (though they don't really understand why they think that.) (Maybe enlightenment is no big deal, afterall, EXCEPT for those who already lost their joy-of-life, their sense-of-humor, and are today, just too damn SERIOUS!)

This is why it is necessary to remember ALL the work, ALL the time. And when you can, you can move on. Not before. And you'll have no need to look backward ever again. But if you spend your entire lives, mulling over ideas which were made up to begin with, by people you don't know, for presumed outcomes you can not demand, expect or predict, with a Mind you can neither control, nor direct, you will simply become another Monarchist, Republican, or student of some way-of-Enlightenment.

This is not growing up. This is remaining stagnant. This is remaining a child.

Some, reading this, of course, will belittle and insult this entire line-of-thought. But know this, their resistance is based upon fear, and too many decades of prior investment of time and energy, and they are quickly running out of time, and know it. So they MUST resist, the more strongly because it's too threatening to personality, which calls itself a "work personality," but is not. One, who can think for themselves, could read this entire post, and remain calm and unaffected either way - before, during, and after - not taking it as a personal affront, and not needing to correct it, to fix it or the writer.

They might even strongly agree.
They might even suddenly see something new.