The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.

The line contrasts the possession of particular opinions with the intellectual habits that produce them. It suggests that independence is not defined by arriving at fashionable “contrarian” conclusions, but by maintaining a method: skepticism toward authority, willingness to test premises, openness to evidence, and readiness to revise beliefs. Read this way, the quote defends process over doctrine—critical thinking over ideological loyalty. It also implies that two people may disagree sharply yet both be “independent” if they reason honestly, while someone who parrots the “right” view without examination lacks independence. The emphasis on “how” elevates intellectual integrity and rigor as the core of a free mind.