--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Think for yourself. Unplug yourself from…" description: "\"Think for yourself. Unplug yourself from follow-the-follower groupthink, and virtually ignore what everyone else in your industry is saying (except the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/steve-pavlina-3958_agree_think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from_169865.jpg" --- # Think for yourself. Unplug yourself from… ![“Think for yourself. Unplug yourself from follow-the-follower groupthink, and virtually ignore what everyone else in your industry is saying (except the ones everyone agrees is crazy). Do your own research, draw your own conclusions, set your own course, and stick to your guns. When you're just…” quote by Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/steve-pavlina-3958_agree_think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from_169865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/steve-pavlina-3958_agree_think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from_169865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/steve-pavlina-3958_agree_think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from_169865.jpg) > “Think for yourself. Unplug yourself from follow-the-follower groupthink, and virtually ignore what everyone else in your industry is saying (except the ones everyone agrees is crazy). Do your own research, draw your own conclusions, set your own course, and stick to your guns. When you're just starting out, people will tell you you're wrong. After you've blown past them, they'll tell you you're crazy. A few years after that, they'll (privately) ask you to mentor them.” [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Independent thinking requires disengaging from popular opinion, researching personally, and committing to one's own conclusions despite external pressure. **In simple terms:** Think for yourself, research, and stay true to your own conclusions. Key Takeaway Trust your own judgment and persist despite criticism. Themes individualism critical thinking resilience Mood determined defiant Type motivational advice When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - career planning - creative projects - personal growth Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑direction leadership Questions to Reflect On - What evidence will you seek before forming a belief? - How will you handle dissent while staying authentic? A Different Perspective Your conclusions may be wrong; humility and feedback are still needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) [Ask Mentor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-mentor-236140/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Draw Conclusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draw-conclusions-285043/) [Draws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws/) [Follower Groupthink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follower-groupthink-1842047/) [Followers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followers/) [Groupthink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groupthink/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Mentor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentor/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Starting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting/) [Starting out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-out/) [Sticks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think for yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-for-yourself/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [“Do you think for yourself or yield to popular opinion?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/do-you-think-for-yourself-or-yield-to-popular-opinion/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [Find someone you admire and ask them to mentor you. The worst they can say is no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/find-someone-you-admire-and-ask-them-to-mentor-you-the-worst-they-can/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [Throughout my career, I had a lot of mentors, and I just adopted them. What I found is that, especially if you're young, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellye-archambeau/throughout-my-career-i-had-a-lot-of-mentors-and-i-just-adopted-them/) [Shellye Archambeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellye-archambeau/) > [A successful learner, . . . must be constrained to draw some conclusions from the input and not others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/a-successful-learner-must-be-constrained-to-draw-some-conclusions/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [It is all too easy to draw conclusions and make sweeping judgments about millions of Muslim women based on fleeting television images. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-rania-of-jordan/it-is-all-too-easy-to-draw-conclusions-and-make-sweeping-judgments/) [Queen Rania of Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-rania-of-jordan/) > [It is presumptuous to draw conclusions about a person from what one has heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-morgan/it-is-presumptuous-to-draw-conclusions-about-a-person-from-what-one/) [Jude Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-morgan/) > [I let people draw their own conclusions about my similarities to Dale Sr.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-harvick/i-let-people-draw-their-own-conclusions-about-my-similarities-to-dale/) [Kevin Harvick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-harvick/) > [I'm a working journalist. I'm interested in all points of view, and I draw conclusions based on facts, not just on opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/i-m-a-working-journalist-i-m-interested-in-all-points-of-view-and-i/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [“Perhaps the most general and most important mental habit to instill is an appreciation of the folly of trying to draw conclusions from incomplete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/perhaps-the-most-general-and-most-important-mental-habit-to-instill/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [For the first month, I listened, and I tried very hard not to draw conclusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-gerstner/for-the-first-month-i-listened-and-i-tried-very-hard-not-to-draw/) [Lou Gerstner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-gerstner/) > [I try not to spend too much time interpreting my comics for people, because I try to put out there whatever I can, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/i-try-not-to-spend-too-much-time-interpreting-my-comics-for-people/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) > [We first observe facts, then generalise, and then draw conclusions or principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-first-observe-facts-then-generalise-and-then-draw-conclusions-or/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Imagination should give wings to our thoughts but we always need decisive experimental proof, and when the moment comes to draw conclusions and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/imagination-should-give-wings-to-our-thoughts-but-we-always-need/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [When you write, you take the ball and you hold it up to the light and you turn it slowly, and let people draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/when-you-write-you-take-the-ball-and-you-hold-it-up-to-the-light-and/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [Your deeper sense isn’t a springboard; it’s a landing place. If you draw conclusions too quickly or too slowly, you’ll establish your self where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/your-deeper-sense-isn-t-a-springboard-it-s-a-landing-place-if-you/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) ## More by Steve Pavlina > [Your values are your current estimations of truth. They represent your answer to the question of how to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/your-values-are-your-current-estimations-of-truth-they-represent-your/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Using passion as your only fuel will no more assure you of success than being in love will ensure a successful long-term relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/using-passion-as-your-only-fuel-will-no-more-assure-you-of-success/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [When you discipline yourself to do what is hard, you gain access to a realm of results that are denied everyone else. The willingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/when-you-discipline-yourself-to-do-what-is-hard-you-gain-access-to-a/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [A man doesn't require the approval of others. He's willing to follow his heart wherever it leads him. When a man is following his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/a-man-doesn-t-require-the-approval-of-others-he-s-willing-to-follow/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work... I've found that a minimum of 90 minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/to-work-effectively-you-need-uninterrupted-blocks-of-time-in-which/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [People in their early 20s are invariably weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/people-in-their-early-20s-are-invariably-weird/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Are you one of those people who notices the problems of the world and says ... somebody ought to do something about that? Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/are-you-one-of-those-people-who-notices-the-problems-of-the-world-and/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Security is worthless if you have to sacrifice growth to get it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/security-is-worthless-if-you-have-to-sacrifice-growth-to-get-it/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [I believe we can proactively choose to believe whatever we want instead of merely letting our beliefs coalesce as reactions to events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/i-believe-we-can-proactively-choose-to-believe-whatever-we-want/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Pour the bulk of your time into action, not deciding. The state of indecision is a major time waster. Don't spend more than 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/pour-the-bulk-of-your-time-into-action-not-deciding-the-state-of/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Treat your business relationships like friendships (or potential friendships). Formality puts up walls, and walls don't foster good business relationships. No one is loyal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/treat-your-business-relationships-like-friendships-or-potential/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Side effect of overemphasizing the importance of personal security in your life is that it can cause you to live reactively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/side-effect-of-overemphasizing-the-importance-of-personal-security-in/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [You can move beyond the ego's perspective and see reality from the perspective of a higher consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/you-can-move-beyond-the-ego-s-perspective-and-see-reality-from-the/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Passion and purpose go hand in hand. When you discover your purpose, you will normally find its something youre tremendously passionate about](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/passion-and-purpose-go-hand-in-hand-when-you-discover-your-purpose/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [I got screwed over in some bad business deals, but as long as I focused on those past problems, I couldn't move forward. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/i-got-screwed-over-in-some-bad-business-deals-but-as-long-as-i/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) [Explore all 116 Steve Pavlina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) ## More Agree quotes > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/a-contract-is-an-ask-game-and-if-it-asks-for-an-hour-and-i-submit-to/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) [Browse all 3,079 Agree quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Think for yourself. Unplug yourself from follow-the-follower groupthink, and virtually ignore what everyone else in your industry is saying (except the ones everyone agrees is crazy). Do your own research, draw your own conclusions, set your own course, and stick to your guns. When you're just starting out, people will tell you you're wrong. After you've blown past them, they'll tell you you're crazy. A few years after that, they'll (privately) ask you to mentor them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Pavlina" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from-follow-the-follower/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agree" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from-follow-the-follower/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/steve-pavlina-3958_agree_think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from_169865.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/steve-pavlina-3958_agree_think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from_169865.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/steve-pavlina-3958_agree_think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from_169865.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Think for yourself. Unplug yourself from follow-the-follower groupthink, and virtually ignore what everyone…” — Steve Pavlina", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Steve Pavlina", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Think for yourself. Unplug yourself from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from-follow-the-follower/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from-follow-the-follower/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```