When you have a young child who hasn't yet developed adult mental abilities, when you have students who need to progress, when you have a friend whose reasoning is temporarily distorted, when you have a loved one whose mental capabilities have begun to diminish, you may have to think for others. Even though we should honor and encourage every person's ability to think for themselves, at some point in their lives they may need our assistance.
Caution needs to be taken when we believe that our thinking is better than that of other healthy, mature adults. If we focus too much on our own capabilities, we may become overconfident and lose the ability to understand and appreciate other points of view. We may begin to judge other thinking as inferior or faulty.
Helping someone improve or retain their own independent thought is a gift. Don't take over too soon or too often. We all will benefit by giving and receiving help when needed. Appreciation goes out to parents, teachers, friends, and caregivers who out of necessity must think for others.
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