The Importance of Independent Thinking

Deresiewicz emphasizes the need for students to develop independent, critical thinking skills. He criticizes the current educational climate for promoting conformity and discouraging dissent. True leadership and intellectual growth require the ability to question accepted norms and challenge the status quo. This involves resisting groupthink and having the courage to be unpopular. 'The job of a leader, the job of a thinker, is to identify and ask them [questions]. This is where courage comes in.'