Forgive me Raptor, and TB, for jumping in.

Where exactly do we draw the line between perceptions we've been taught, read, or watched, and which are our own?

This can be difficult to discern. A skilled orator can rally us to their cause if we sit on the fence or irritate us if we are centered in our established positions of an opposite nature.

I am reminded of Tolkien's essay on writing fantasy stories. An amazing scholar, he'd read just about every northern European myth there ever was, most in their original language. He observed that his mind was a compost pile: he threw a bunch of knowledge on the pile, and the fungal growth on top was his, sustained by the provided nutrients.

Same thing with perspective (opinion). The more stuff we throw on the pile, the more interesting the mold that grows on top.

Those of us that have conversed with TB for many years know this: his opinions are his own. But they have grown on a leaf pile of particular composition. And that pile is enourmous.

Wait, that doesn't sound like I meant it to. What I'm trying to say is that you should not assume TB is swayed by current discourse. His knowledge base is large enough that his views are his own.

Grow your leaf pile, Raptor, feed it well. Keep turning it, keep it moist, full of worms. From this soil our creativity and philosophy sprout. While feeding off the ideas of others, these tender sprouts are ours.

At least this is how I have resolved the age old question: "which ideas are mine, and which did I adopt from others?"