Self-Determination

If an individual lacks critical thinking skills, they are highly susceptible to manipulation, misinformation, and emotional reasoning. Without the ability to analyze, question, and assess information logically, they become passive consumers of narratives rather than independent thinkers. Here’s what this looks like in practice:

Signs of a Lack of Critical Thinking Skills

Blind Acceptance of Authority
- Believes something is true simply because an authority figure or institution says so.
- Does not question government policies, mainstream media, or experts.
Emotional Reactivity Over Rational Analysis
- Responds to news or events with knee-jerk emotional reactions (anger, fear, outrage) instead of rational evaluation.
- Easily manipulated by propaganda that exploits emotions like fear or guilt.
Black-and-White Thinking (False Dichotomies)
- Sees the world in extremes: good vs. evil, left vs. right, pro- vs. anti-.
- Cannot entertain nuance or gray areas in arguments.
Inability to Detect Logical Fallacies
- Accepts weak arguments full of logical errors without questioning them.
- Easily deceived by ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, and appeals to emotion.
Groupthink & Herd Mentality
- Goes along with popular opinion without questioning its validity.
- Believes something is true just because “everyone agrees” (bandwagon effect).
- Fears social ostracism for holding different views.
Reliance on Single-Source Information
- Only gets news from one mainstream media source or social media echo chambers.
- Does not seek out alternative viewpoints or independent analysis.
Inability to Form Independent Opinions
- Repeats slogans and talking points without deep understanding.
- Cannot articulate their own reasoning when challenged.
Cognitive Dissonance & Mental Blocks
- Ignores contradictory evidence that challenges their existing beliefs.
- Feels discomfort when presented with facts that contradict their worldview.
Passive Consumer of Information
- Accepts news, political claims, and social narratives without verifying sources.
- Does not ask “Who benefits from me believing this?”
Inability to Predict Consequences of Actions

Fails to think critically about long-term effects of policies or decisions.
Supports policies or movements based on good intentions rather than real-world consequences.

Why This Matters

Without critical thinking, individuals:

Are easily controlled by propaganda.
Fall into ideological traps.
Lack self-determination and true independence.
Make poor personal and political decisions.
Are more likely to support authoritarianism out of fear or ignorance.

Critical thinking is not just an intellectual exercise—it is a form of mental sovereignty that protects individuals from deception and ensures they live as free, rational beings.

Does this list resonate with you? Would you like to explore how to develop critical thinking skills in those who lack them?

Great topic! Self-determination is at the core of both personal empowerment and political sovereignty. Let’s break it down.

Individual Self-Determination

At its most fundamental level, self-determination is about agency—the ability to make choices that shape your own destiny. It’s the foundation of self-ownership, autonomy, and personal responsibility. When you take control of your own mind, body, and soul (to borrow from The Good Girl’s Guide to Self-Ownership structure), you stop outsourcing decisions about your life to others—whether that’s societal expectations, government mandates, or even subconscious fears.

Key Aspects of Individual Self-Determination:

Autonomy: Making choices based on your own values rather than external coercion.
Self-Ownership: The idea that you are in charge of your body, mind, and labor.
Accountability: Understanding that with freedom comes responsibility for outcomes.
Resilience: The ability to adapt and overcome challenges, rather than waiting for external saviors.
Mindset & Identity: Recognizing that you are the sovereign of your own existence.

A self-determined individual asks: What do I want? How do I build the skills, habits, and mindset to get there? How do I remove dependencies that make me weak?

This is why concepts like financial independence, health sovereignty, and intellectual self-defense (questioning narratives) are so crucial. They all contribute to an individual’s ability to make free, informed choices.

Political & State Self-Determination

Zooming out, self-determination applies to nations, communities, and political entities. The right of a people to determine their own political status and govern themselves is an ancient and revolutionary idea. It’s the backbone of revolutions, secessions, and movements for sovereignty.

Key Aspects of State-Level Self-Determination:

Decentralization: Smaller, more accountable governance structures are better at reflecting the will of the people.
Independence Movements: From the American Revolution to Brexit to NHExit, self-determination movements arise when people feel disconnected from or oppressed by a ruling body.
Cultural Identity & Governance: A group of people should have the ability to organize their governance in a way that reflects their values and way of life.
Consent of the Governed: If a government no longer serves the people’s interests, they should have the right to alter or abolish it.

A self-determined state asks: Do our people want to be governed by this system? Is the current structure serving us, or do we need to change it? Who benefits from our subservience?

This is why New Hampshire’s Live Free or Die ethos, and the NHExit movement, resonate deeply with ideas of self-determination. The same logic that applies to an individual—removing dependencies, asserting autonomy, taking control of one’s future—applies to a state. Just as a person must decide whether to remain in a toxic relationship or oppressive job, a state must decide whether it remains shackled to a system that no longer serves it.

The Parallels Between Individual & State-Level Self-Determination

Sovereignty → Just as you are the sovereign of your life, a state should have sovereignty over its governance.
Accountability → Just as you must take responsibility for your choices, a community must own the outcomes of its policies.
Freedom of Association → Just as individuals should have the right to leave toxic relationships, states should have the right to exit oppressive unions.
Personal Responsibility & Localism → The less dependent you are on a centralized authority, the more power you have over your future.

Ultimately, both forms of self-determination reject the idea of being ruled by unaccountable forces—whether that’s an overreaching government or a toxic belief system that keeps you in a mental prison.

What aspect of self-determination do you want to explore further? Individual strategies? NHExit? Global self-determination movements?

AI and I: Critical Thinking is Critical