In one of my previous organizations, the annual appraisal/potential assessment form had an unusual section. It wanted to know if the person being assessed was an ‘independent thinker’. It was unusual because businesses don’t usually allow for much independent thinking! To my mind, an independent thinker is someone who has their own ideas about what […]

I have been pondering the concept of independence. While I see financial and intellectual independence as important I feel true independence means breaking free from the need to seek validation from others. Our society puts a lot of emphasis on getting approval from strangers through physical cues (like clothes, cars, and homes), attention-seeking (likes on […]