Non-discrete = Continuous, stepless.
You are probably right about the dimensionality, that goes further than what I said. Even if we can abstract a binary opposition, it doesn't follow that the relation is linear, or that no other factors figure.
I guess independence means having more choices. But sometimes the additional choices are all less optimal than an independence-reducing choice.
And sometimes options are dependent on independence-reducing choices: I would imagine that some consulting tasks are sensitive enough that the client feels uncomfortable handing them over to consultants that are not committed. If those tasks are desirable, then the independence-preserving stance can be the more limiting one.
