--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to learn to think for yourself…" description: "\"“You have to learn to think for yourself, young man. If you keep waiting for approval you’re going to miss out on a lot.”\" — Karen McQuestion" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/karen-mcquestion-26813_think_you-have-to-learn-to-think-for-yourself_137663.jpg" --- # You have to learn to think for yourself, young man. If you… ![“You have to learn to think for yourself, young man. If you keep waiting for approval you’re going to miss out on a lot.” quote by Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/karen-mcquestion-26813_think_you-have-to-learn-to-think-for-yourself_137663.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/karen-mcquestion-26813_think_you-have-to-learn-to-think-for-yourself_137663.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/karen-mcquestion-26813_think_you-have-to-learn-to-think-for-yourself_137663.jpg) > ““You have to learn to think for yourself, young man. If you keep waiting for approval you’re going to miss out on a lot.”” [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Young men must learn independent thinking instead of waiting for approval, lest they miss opportunities. **In simple terms:** Think independently, don’t wait for approval. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑reliance and initiative. Themes education independence growth Mood encouraging direct Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - school - career - personal development Key Concepts psychology leadership decision‑making Questions to Reflect On - What steps help develop independent thought? - How to balance confidence and humility? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can be risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-young/) [Waiting Approval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-approval-1563329/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) ## Related quotes > [Investors don't like being in a world where everything is held up by and waiting for an approval from a very small number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-banerjee/investors-don-t-like-being-in-a-world-where-everything-is-held-up-by/) [Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/) > [Stop waiting for approval. Do what you want and live your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-waiting-for-approval-do-what-you-want-and-live-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think young people ought to seek that differential experience that is going to knock them off dead center. I was a typical American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/i-think-young-people-ought-to-seek-that-differential-experience-that/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [I think if you are young and you have children, you still have so much to prove. When you have children later in life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/i-think-if-you-are-young-and-you-have-children-you-still-have-so-much/) [Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/) > [I think more and more young people are catching on when it comes to certain healthy behaviors, much more than I did when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/i-think-more-and-more-young-people-are-catching-on-when-it-comes-to/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [I think as young players, when you have experienced losing, it can beat you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-donovan/i-think-as-young-players-when-you-have-experienced-losing-it-can-beat/) [Billy Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-donovan/) > [I think a young poet, or an old poet, for that matter, should try to produce something that pleases himself personally, not only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-larkin/i-think-a-young-poet-or-an-old-poet-for-that-matter-should-try-to/) [Philip Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-larkin/) > [So I think, as much as possible, I try to be open myself. I think that's probably something that falls with young people. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lukas-moodysson/so-i-think-as-much-as-possible-i-try-to-be-open-myself-i-think-that-s/) [Lukas Moodysson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lukas-moodysson/) > [I always think of young Hollywood as its own little high school. There are the girls who have been working for a while that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gale-anderson/i-always-think-of-young-hollywood-as-its-own-little-high-school-there/) [Nicole Gale Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gale-anderson/) > [The sad fact is that if you love education, revere the life of the mind, care about the pursuit of truth, think young people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-sad-fact-is-that-if-you-love-education-revere-the-life-of-the/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [If you think you are young, then that is what you will be. I also feel that with age, comes maturity. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-wahi/if-you-think-you-are-young-then-that-is-what-you-will-be-i-also-feel/) [Karan Wahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-wahi/) > [I don't think young people should have bottoms, they're too young for that sort of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carr/i-don-t-think-young-people-should-have-bottoms-they-re-too-young-for/) [Jimmy Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carr/) > [I don't think young people are prepared for the moment of reckoning at the end of college - if you even go to college…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-welteroth/i-don-t-think-young-people-are-prepared-for-the-moment-of-reckoning/) [Elaine Welteroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-welteroth/) > [Through the years I've never stopped doing things, thinking about things, and I still think young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doyle-brunson/through-the-years-i-ve-never-stopped-doing-things-thinking-about/) [Doyle Brunson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doyle-brunson/) > [But I think it's more that when you're young, you're invincible, you're immortal - or at least you think you are. The possibilities are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/but-i-think-it-s-more-that-when-you-re-young-you-re-invincible-you-re/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) ## More by Karen McQuestion > [“Oh Heavenly Father, goddess mother, spirits of the universe, let our vibrations be positive and our actions harmonious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/oh-heavenly-father-goddess-mother-spirits-of-the-universe-let-our/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“Say you’re at home and you want something, like a book, so you go online and order it from Amazon. Two days later, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/say-you-re-at-home-and-you-want-something-like-a-book-so-you-go/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“and do. They want people to steal and cheat and lie because then they can feed off the evil. They love greed and selfishness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/and-do-they-want-people-to-steal-and-cheat-and-lie-because-then-they/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“I’m a night owl by nature and an insomniac on occasion. You’ll often find me awake at this hour, alone in my thoughts. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/i-m-a-night-owl-by-nature-and-an-insomniac-on-occasion-you-ll-often/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“In as much time as it takes to smoke a cigarette, a person's life was changed forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/in-as-much-time-as-it-takes-to-smoke-a-cigarette-a-person-s-life-was/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“Standing under a spray of warm water is a quick but short-term fix to most of life’s problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/standing-under-a-spray-of-warm-water-is-a-quick-but-short-term-fix-to/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“story she used to tell me when I was a child, just a made-up story. Lately,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/story-she-used-to-tell-me-when-i-was-a-child-just-a-made-up-story/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“Umm, I think it means we determine our own fate. It’s not what happens to us in life, it’s what we do about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/umm-i-think-it-means-we-determine-our-own-fate-it-s-not-what-happens/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“Seems like sometimes life gives you what you need instead of what you want, if you know what I mean”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/seems-like-sometimes-life-gives-you-what-you-need-instead-of-what-you/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“call the police and have me arrested. “That’s a felony, you know.” No, I was not aware that moving a car across a street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/call-the-police-and-have-me-arrested-that-s-a-felony-you-know-no-i/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“Most people have everything they need to be happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/most-people-have-everything-they-need-to-be-happy/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“It's good to plan, but don't let the planning take the place of doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/it-s-good-to-plan-but-don-t-let-the-planning-take-the-place-of-doing/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“Death was painful, not because people couldn't see their loved ones anymore, but because they couldn't communicate with them anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/death-was-painful-not-because-people-couldn-t-see-their-loved-ones/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“sometimes life gives you what you need instead of what you want,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/sometimes-life-gives-you-what-you-need-instead-of-what-you-want/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) > [“I have faith that when the time is right I’ll find what I’m really meant to do with my life, and it will all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-mcquestion/i-have-faith-that-when-the-time-is-right-i-ll-find-what-i-m-really/) [Karen McQuestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) [Explore all 19 Karen McQuestion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-mcquestion/) ## More Think quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [You can think about it, wonder what went wrong, over analyze the situation but the fact remains... it's the past, just let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/you-can-think-about-it-wonder-what-went-wrong-over-analyze-the/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [They are focused on whether they can do something. They never think whether they should do something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/they-are-focused-on-whether-they-can-do-something-they-never-think/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [Remember we all was born into this world through God hands,Why You think we all have a brain so we can think and know..Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/remember-we-all-was-born-into-this-world-through-god-hands-why-you/) [FrenchQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenchqueen/) > [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers & think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [I think a person has to just be herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-nixon/i-think-a-person-has-to-just-be-herself/) [Pat Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-nixon/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/) [Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Browse all 36,456 Think quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You have to learn to think for yourself, young man. 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