The independent man or woman, in contrast, does not accept a belief merely because it has been expounded by an authority; such a person gives credence to authorities only where personal investigation is impractical, and only after obtaining rational grounds for such credence. The independent student of this course, for instance, will take none of its ideas for granted, but will carefully and objectively analyze the underlying reasoning and observations to determine whether each conclusion is logically warranted. (In some cases, questions may remain that will be addressed only later in the course.) After completing the course, such a student will have acquired a personal understanding of the principles presented and will be well equipped to apply them to improve his or her life.