"We are creatures of outside influences; as a rule we do not think, we only imitate" - Mark Twain. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

In Corn-Pone Opinions, Mark Twain makes the comment “We are creatures of outside influences; as a rule, we do not think, we only imitate”. The statement highlights the issue of conformity, and how it dictates most aspects of human life. I think that this statement is partially, but not wholly true. Here is my argument.
“Outside influences” mentioned in the statement may refer to the environment in which we live. It is true that the environment does shape most things in our life, such as our identity and culture. Consider the example given by Twain in his essay, that “Mohammedans are Mohammedans because they are born and raised among that sect, not because they have thought it out, and so are Catholics, Catholics, and Presbyterians, Presbyterians”. Personally, I am a Christian because I was brought up by my parents in this particular sect. I grew up going to churches, and I have never had the occasion to say visit a mosque or a temple. Actually, the thought has never even occurred to me, perhaps because my mind is busy thinking through other more pressing issues. I would then want to propose that one reason why I may not have critically analyzed my religious inclination is that I lack the time to do so, or maybe, I am too lazy to dedicate time to thinking about this aspect of my life. After all, my parents already ‘helped’ me with making the “right” decision in this regard. This then brings me to Immanuel Kant’s assertion in the essay “What is Enlightenment” that, people are slow at engaging in self-thinking because there exist self-appointed guardians who are willing to think for them. He goes on to say that enlightenment is achieved when a person is able to analyze and understand events without the need for another’s guidance. I would then want to say that yes, humans are a product of their environment.
On the other hand, there are exceptional people, what Kant would classify as the “enlightened” people, who are a product of their thinking. Take for instance inventors, such as Chester Carlson. He invented electrophotography out of a motivation to make document reproduction easier at his place of work. This is a man who was not content with the way the environment worked and used this to change things in his life through an invention. Most inventions, be they in science, fashion, the arts or whatever field, come about as a result of individuals who decide not to conform to the environment, paving a new path for themselves.
Humans are thinking creatures – this is what differentiates them from other animals. Conformity happens when we choose not to think about our own unique ways of addressing a problem.