It can be frightening to start thinking for yourself. Who knows where it could lead? You could end up with any number of principles and beliefs that don’t sit comfortably with the people you spend your time with. You could find yourself out on a limb. You could have to face up to realising you’ve been wrong about things, or at least not been right about them. One of the barriers to being an independent thinker is the fear of being different.

Look, that’s understandable, of course it is. But you can take things gently. There are no thought police out there – not yet anyway. No one else has to know what you’re thinking until you’re ready to let on. You don’t have to sit your whole family down and say, ‘I need you all to know that I think your way of life is wrong and I entirely reject it.’ Thinking for yourself doesn’t entail sharing your new beliefs until you want it to.

If you start to cultivate friends with different backgrounds and beliefs, this all gets much easier – just one of the upsides of doing it. Once you step out of the echo chamber, having independent thoughts is much more readily accepted and you’ll have the fun of meeting people who agree with your new thoughts and people who don’t – both equally interesting and enjoyable. You have to accept other people’s differences too, of course, and not feel threatened by them. Listen to them and then make up your own mind.

If you’re used to agreeing with everyone around you, of course it can be quite daunting to say that you don’t share their views. So wait until you’re ready before you say it and then be prepared for them to feel threatened by you. How you handle this is up to you, but you’ll be much happier about your choice if you’ve thought it through in advance. I’d add that, if you respect their view, they are more likely to respect yours, and that’s as it should be. I’ve observed, unsurprisingly, that people who respect others’ views, even when they don’t share them, are more popular than those who can’t accept difference.

When you think for yourself, it’s not only about ideas and values and politics and religion. You need to think for yourself at work and in practical matters too. If you’re working alongside other people it can be scary the first time you say, ‘I think there’s a better way to do things.’ But give it a go – keep it practical, respectful and non-critical and you should find you get a positive response. If you’ve done your thinking carefully, you’re probably right and people will appreciate that. If they persuade you that your ideas aren’t as good as you think, don’t take it personally, but keep thinking for yourself and analyse their comments – maybe they’re right. So hone your thinking skills for next time, but don’t be put off. All independent thinkers need a bit of courage – look at Galileo or Darwin – but it only takes your colleagues to say, ‘That’s a great idea!’ for you to feel inspired to voice your thoughts again next time.