Decisive Moment
When I was in college, I had many heated arguments with my father, about politics, the Vietnam War, just about everything. Then it suddenly dawned on me that whatever he supported, I was against, automatically. I thought I was being independent, but I was simply reacting to him, rather than thinking for myself.
For me, that was a moment of awakening. From then on, I hesitated before responding, and tried to judge issues on their merits, even if that meant sometimes agreeing with my father. Likewise, I didn’t simply accept the opinions and behavior of my classmates and friends.
To achieve true independence, you need to be true to yourself.