I'm not sure such a thing as "free-thinking" actually exists. We are all influenced by the ideas that came before us, by reaction to others around us, and experiences in our lives.

For me, it refers to someone who forms their own opinions rather than being persuaded into believing what is generally accepted without question, i.e. religion and politics.

Freethinker = you like to speak your mind, and you hate it when people try to dictate to you how to think and feel. It's ok if you COULD be wrong, and people don't agree with you, or vice versa, but no dictation. That's how I see it anyways

I have encountered many religious people who's minds are mired in a faith (belief without evidence often defended against counter claims supported by evidence) based interpretation of reality. Those faithful I have encountered are not free to question their faith based beliefs. They are therefore not free thinkers.

I have de-converted a few theists and as a part of their process of thanking me, they have expressed a great "freedom" as now they can see the world and accept (not fear) things their church had condemned them from questioning or accepting.

For me means the right I have to reject what does not make sense in my life. As an example are religions, fashion industry rules or anything that takes away my own natural identity.

Free from dogma and indoctrination. I have tried to live like this for many years and i guess i kind of am a Freethinker. BUT being very honest, i observe myself sometimes speaking or behaving with some sort of indoctrination....

When this happens i observe it and try to see what is mine and what is indoctrination, and i move on calmly in life.

A Freethinker is one who ignores norms established by tradition & authority & thinks independently.

On another level, it is one who maintains an open minded scientific attitude . One who is skeptical of all received knowledge & demands evidence before belief.

On another level, it is one who has the imagination to creatively see the novel & express it.

Freethinkers may learn from other Freethinkers, but eventually must move on. It is a lonely business. Anyone who can accept true loneliness is a beast or a god.

Nice threads, I wondered too, it seems to vary a little bit from person to person who see self as freethinker. I feel free to think for myself, but I don’t want more labels. It might be more PC to say “Freethinker” to theologists or persons in places of power when discussing religious or political beliefs. (It says “undefined” to me). Maybe many years ago it was safer to call oneself a freethinker than to label oneself atheist-agnostic, or anything other that the mainstream beliefs of the era. I Imagine a Beatnick in 1950s or 60’s being bored by religious pursuits, or fearing retaliation for not being a christian, etc.

Knows a good dealer !!!

I see it as just another unnecessary label.

I mean, "free-thinker", as opposed to what, "locked-up thinker"????
I think it's silly.

Perhaps, and this is a sideways view, which hopefully this forum still embraces without getting ‘offended’ -
No one is a freethinker. If you take a position you are against something which doesn’t sound free. It is locked into a polarity and so will always be restricted by duality.

To be a freethinker you have to put all preconceptions, expectations, discriminations whether religious, political, racial aside and embrace possibility instead of limitation.

Can anyone do that?

It is to be open-minded to new evidence and willing to entertain ideas that clash with established dogma.

I have no fucking idea.

I agree with your comparison. I take free thinker to be associated with someone who doesn't want to be labeled with any particular secular dogma, similar to the "spiritual". Maybe it's redundant, or antiquated, but could help get the point across to non believers. However, I've mostly heard people use it in condescending tones in conversation, similar to Christian do when they espouse their beliefs are accurate because of faith. ie. "Well, I'm just a free thinker and that's what I believe". And I've also heard variations of "You have to be intelligent, to see the facts, that's why I'm a free thinker." Both kinda pompous windbags

Not told what to think by parents, teachers, society, fox news etc.

I don't use that term... It comes across as "non-thinker" or "emotional based thinking." I'm not into that. In fact, I find that most of these labels do great injustice to who we are. The challenge I see over and over again is that "free thinkers" all tend to think alike... which suggests that this is not free thinking.

There is no cost to thinking free.

Self explanatory to me. It's the ability to live life with thought processes unrestrained.

My thoughts are... Fact based thought instead of religious doctrine based thought.

Being willing to reject the claims of "Divinely revealed knowledge" as not credible is a big part of freethought to my mind.

An Internet search is your friend: [google.com]

In theory is the same/close to definition of a scientific mind.
But can be used by someone that simply wants to reject something even if it is scientific/historic/other methodic ways of seeing the truth consensus saying that he/she (is there another way to refer to both genders in English?) don't like.

I'll go with a non-conformist view of things. It isn't logic, and some logic can be flawed.

God is love
Love is blind
Stevie Wonder is blind
Therefore Stevie Wonder is god

After love, health and freedom is in order of a means to an end , in my life priorities.

As an artist, I always set a free liences in works of sand, snow sculpture, film, stage, tiny houses and costumes. Sometimes I am just a tool for the rich like projects for Walt Disney and some museum work. Sadly it for the money,. But not anymore in today's art works!. FREEDOM IS AWESOME.

You are free to think about electrons and protons going in circles while smoking dope and playing video games.