How not to be influenced by people

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Great book for all of us who want to win friends. But what about the people who are being influenced too much? So I decided to try a Dale Carnegie on my own. For people who feel they are being influenced too much, in a sense that it compromises their independence.

We must have, if not complete, some reasonable amount of control over our judgement and opinions. It should be independent of other people's opinions and pressures. Others' thinking has to be kept in mind, but the final decision must be ours. In any matter whatsoever.

Sometimes more dominant people try, and are able to affect our actions indirectly by influencing the way we think, and what we think, and we tend to follow these pseudo-opinions, often attempting to associate ourselves with them, and in quest for recognition and identity. We stop using our intellect and block our minds. We don't use our intelligence to judge people and analyse situations. In this process we lose our credibility to other people, as they realize that you do not act as an individual, but as a puppet.

One solution that I can think of is that we must remain honest to ourselves. In whatever we do, say and think, we must be convinced that its correct. Not necessarily correct for everyone, but at least according to ourselves. Listen to everyone, but take your own decisions. Till we are honest to ourselves, no one can challenge us. Even if we do not have arguments to support our will, we have the confidence of our honesty and the peace of mind that comes with it.

PS: I know this has been a bad piece of writing. but I somehow could not manage any better today. :)