In my more gullible days as a young, enthusiastic witness, I would sit in the Watchtower Study and hope those around me would do more than parrot answers. I even recall the Watchtower conductor inviting the audience to give their own answers. Oh, there were always a few witnesses who had the ability to phrase an answer in their own words - and I so admired them.
Now, looking back, I realize those rare participants had sufficient language skills to simply regurgitate exactly what was in the paragraphs - they were not adding a single point of deeper thought to the meeting.
So, whether parroted or paraphrased, if all amounted to the same mentality: Digest what is in the Watchtower/do not deviate from it. Little wonder the GB lambasts higher education because if the average educational level of the witnesses were to increase, even more of them would realize the shockingly dumbed-down mentality of your average Jehovah's Witness. I'd suggest there is a very, very thin line between, say being "humbly" educated (as Witnesses are apt to see themselves) and being plain ignorant and lacking core critical thinking skills (which is closer to how witnesses come across at meetings and elsewhere).
Perhaps memory plays tricks, but I seem to recall that even as recently as the 1980s, there was always a handful of witnesses who seemed actively engaged in overtly discussing new points of understanding, whereas today there is a strong impression that the witnesses would not recognize a new point of understanding if it slapped them hard and cold on the face.
You simply cannot engage in any meaningful discussion with a mentality that fails to realize that understandings have been changed by their own GB.
"Oh, we've always believed that - it hasn't changed at all". Sigh!