Original thought

Original thought is wrong.
The world screams this at us from every angle. When we enter into this world, we're taught not only how to think but what to think as well. Our parents instill values in us that we are expected to continue (children of Republican parents should be Republicans). Our religions teach us how to interpret religious texts and what that interpretation should be (Humility is this. Do not deviate). Our teachers present facts and how to feel about these facts (The Japenese we wrong to attack Pearl Harbor. We were right to attack Hiroshima.). If we don't accept our parents values, we're disobediant and unruly. If we interpret religious text differently, we're heretics and blasphemers. If we disagree with the common attitude, we're unpatriotic and disloyal to our great nation.
This is a problem. The ability to think freely is what differentiates humans from common animals. A hippo cannot contemplate the universe. A dog cannot differentiate an equation. A catfish cannot discuss politics. We can. To limit thought is to limit humanity. Moreso, to limit thought is to also limit uniqueness within the human population. Limitting thought creates an Oceania-type society in which everyone must think the same thing; if you do not, you will be removed or fixed. This scares me.
Why, then, do so many people get all atwitter when someone thinks on their own accord? It scares people. It shakes their beliefs. They feel that they must validate their own thoughts and ideas by debasing those of others. These people, those who are shaken by free-thinking, are weak in their beliefs. To you I say, stand firm. If you believe and have to reason to believe, believe! Don't let people sway you without cause, and a difference in opinions is not cause enough.
To you who believe, think, interpret, feel differently because someting inside you leads you to do so, thank-you. If you are being true to who you are and that causes you to interpret differently, continue to do so. However, if you do things differently for the sake of attention, that is a whole different monster to tackle later.