a. What does TIOIM consider to be independent thinking?
Having an independent mind refers to a person's ability to think for themselves, to make their own decisions, and to form their own opinions without undue influence from others.
The characteristics of an independent mind include:
Critical Thinking: The ability to analyze information and evaluate arguments and facts. The capacity to draw conclusions based on evidence, rather than accepting as truth—without proof—either what others say or personal interpretations based on fantasy or experiences lacking a sense of probability (including experiences based on patterns of occult affinities). The ability to distinguish between the general and the particular (for example, between an individual’s ethnic origin and their entire ethnic group of origin, between an accident and a trend, or between coincidence and intention).
An Open Mind: A person's willingness to consider different perspectives and ideas and to adjust their opinions when presented with new evidence; having the curiosity to discover new things.
Proactive Confidence: Confidence in one's own judgment and abilities. A commitment to personal convictions and values.
Creativity: The ability to think outside of limitations; to observe, describe, and classify observations; and to generate ideas, including original ones. The capacity to offer solutions, identify associated risks, and develop strategies to prevent risks from turning into problems; to formulate hypotheses and verify the validity of one's own findings. The willingness to question states of affairs considered conventional by the majority and to act according to one's own values in relation to these norms.
Courage: A person's willingness to express their thoughts and beliefs even in the face of opposition or criticism. In an open society, an independent mind is seen as a valuable trait that stimulates innovation, personal growth, and significant contributions to society. In a society dominated by authoritarianism, independent minds are, of course, a nuisance and a permanent challenge to dictatorial tendencies; they will always be discouraged unless they "sell out" to the authoritarian regime—in which case, they can no longer be called "independent." Courage, on the other hand, is more than just that. It also consists of the ability to acknowledge our mistakes within the same environment where we commit them and to strive to set things right as much as is humanly possible—compensating for the effects of our errors through new expressions and behaviors, and rightly paying the price for the 'broken pots' (the mess we’ve made).
By "agile development," we mean "development along the way." By initially proposing an incomplete set of organizational regulations, we do not wish to put members who agree with them in a position where they must implicitly accept all future versions. As a working method, we will record for each member the specific version of the regulations they agreed upon. With each new published version, we will request a new agreement, specifying the changes made and providing explanations and reference sources. We aim to transmit and maintain the central spirit of the organization—the independent mind—unchanged, while recognizing that translating this ideal into reality can only be a collective work.
The validation of independent thinking
is not acceptable coming from the thinking mind itself.
Others have the role of validating this quality.
For the list of authors and a complete description of the concept of agile development—a concept that first appeared in 2001 in the software development industry—you can read "The Agile Manifesto" online. We will render here only the fundamental principles reflected in the development of TIOIM, within the context of that document.
This involves prioritizing:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools;
Actions in the spirit of the organization over excessively detailed documentation, allowing members collaborating on an achievement to focus on producing usable value;
Integrative collaboration with the beneficiaries of the produced values over distributive negotiation of achievements, ensuring that specific needs are met rather than wasting time on minor details and friction;
Responding to change over following a plan with "blinders on," encouraging flexibility and adaptability in the face of change rather than strict adherence to a predefined plan that often becomes unrealistic over time.