...on the whole I prefer to make up my own mind about whether I like something or not, and not have it spoiled for me by people insisting that it stinks.

I actually used to be reluctant to get into fandom discussions because of the opposite effect: I'd think an episode stunk, and then I'd arrive in the fandom and everyone would be talking about what they enjoyed in it, and then I'd find myself thinking, "You know, that wasn't so bad after all..." and by the next week my lemming-mind groupthink would be "Oh, that episode ROCKED!"

The danger of finding myself conforming goes in both directions...it's the price of being social, I guess.