Those who teach Believe It and Be it! neglected to inform their followers that there are millions of people playing air guitar but only one Eddie van Halen.
Thank you for this! I remember reading Branden in the early 2000's, and realizing that the ridiculous self-esteem movement had something behind it that actually made sense. Of course you have to take responsibility for your actions and try to live with integrity. Build on a foundation of rocks, not sand. It's also affecting to read this highlight on the pressure women were under in the '70's and '80's. No wonder Ayn Rand's writings looked so good.
Thank you for this great comment. These days some people wig out if they found out you've even dared to read Ayn Rand. They only know what they've heard third parties say, they can't critique from their own center. I have no respect for that.
I read her stuff back when I was in high school, through the process of picking an art college and grappling with the people in my own life who never lost an argument because they were not right but persistent. I still have a fondness for it even after learning about the trainwreck that was her personal life. It introduced me to the idea that businesspeople can operate in an ethical or even heroic way, which I wish would take off with the fervor of certain other, less difficult parts.
I agree. I think it's just false to characterize anyone who has a business as evil and it's simplistic. It's one of those things that allows people to pick a category, make a blanket statement, and stop thinking about anything or anyone in that category. Their decisions were already made for them. Which is pretty much politics as usual these days.
I've not heard of Rand or the Self Esteem Movement before, so this is really interesting! This particular quote struck me... 'it was far more selfish for people who did not contribute to want to profit from the work of others than it was for achievers to distribute the fruits of their labors where they wished. She didn't believe you shouldn't share if you wanted: she just didn't believe you should be forced to share.' This really makes me think about the AI tech companies scraping every image on the internet without credit, consent or compensation, and then profiting from those images by selling subscriptions.
Great essay, throwing off all sorts of sparks. Thanks for a strongly-worded, personal answer to the mealy-mouthed "pro-natal" discourse underfoot at the moment.
"Much of what we read and see in memes about Rand and her beliefs is misleading or false. The point of that is to subvert without engagement. It's a useful tactic, but it's also intellectually dishonest."
This was personally sobering.
"No one won an argument with Ayn Rand. But that didn't make her right, it just made her persistent."
I learned from my father that you can always argue yourself into the right, but you can never argue yourself out of being an asshole.
You always have something to say that leaves me thinking. And I agree with much of it. Selfishness is the prime motivator, even for generosity, which makes the giver feel good, and may earn them "good will". But I came away from The Fountainhead thinking less about artistic purity and more about not wanting to compromise or share. Furthermore, Rand's political followers (who may be misreading her) ignore any moral/ethical obligation to the whole community. Expecting people to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" is ignoring the impossibility of that task (which originated as a joke).
That said, I have always wondered about people who abuse power (e.g., sexual harassment). During my career, I've had to take many classes on that subject, on sensitivity, on prejudice, and I always come away thinking, "Do I really need to be taught to not be an asshole?" and "What sort of putz thinks they have the right to treat others this way?" I'm not saying that I am a perfect gentleman, but I also don't shit where I eat.
"Ayn Rand's tower of logic life was a construct to protect her from the world she feared, having been scarred by her early years as a girl in Russia during the revolution. She could logic her way into and out of anything because she could argue around anybody."
--
Well put. Almost every ideology begins as an overcorrection against some earlier falling ideology, and hers is a great example. Claire Graves spoke to this in his work.
Thank you for this! I remember reading Branden in the early 2000's, and realizing that the ridiculous self-esteem movement had something behind it that actually made sense. Of course you have to take responsibility for your actions and try to live with integrity. Build on a foundation of rocks, not sand. It's also affecting to read this highlight on the pressure women were under in the '70's and '80's. No wonder Ayn Rand's writings looked so good.
Thank you for this great comment. These days some people wig out if they found out you've even dared to read Ayn Rand. They only know what they've heard third parties say, they can't critique from their own center. I have no respect for that.
I read her stuff back when I was in high school, through the process of picking an art college and grappling with the people in my own life who never lost an argument because they were not right but persistent. I still have a fondness for it even after learning about the trainwreck that was her personal life. It introduced me to the idea that businesspeople can operate in an ethical or even heroic way, which I wish would take off with the fervor of certain other, less difficult parts.
I agree. I think it's just false to characterize anyone who has a business as evil and it's simplistic. It's one of those things that allows people to pick a category, make a blanket statement, and stop thinking about anything or anyone in that category. Their decisions were already made for them. Which is pretty much politics as usual these days.
I've not heard of Rand or the Self Esteem Movement before, so this is really interesting! This particular quote struck me... 'it was far more selfish for people who did not contribute to want to profit from the work of others than it was for achievers to distribute the fruits of their labors where they wished. She didn't believe you shouldn't share if you wanted: she just didn't believe you should be forced to share.' This really makes me think about the AI tech companies scraping every image on the internet without credit, consent or compensation, and then profiting from those images by selling subscriptions.
Good commentaries on the lollapalooza.
Great essay, throwing off all sorts of sparks. Thanks for a strongly-worded, personal answer to the mealy-mouthed "pro-natal" discourse underfoot at the moment.
"Much of what we read and see in memes about Rand and her beliefs is misleading or false. The point of that is to subvert without engagement. It's a useful tactic, but it's also intellectually dishonest."
This was personally sobering.
"No one won an argument with Ayn Rand. But that didn't make her right, it just made her persistent."
I learned from my father that you can always argue yourself into the right, but you can never argue yourself out of being an asshole.
This is one of the few sane things I've ever read about Rand. Well done.
Thank you.
That's quite a story, thank you.
Lots to chew on here, as usual. Thanks!
Great post. Learn new things every day!
You always have something to say that leaves me thinking. And I agree with much of it. Selfishness is the prime motivator, even for generosity, which makes the giver feel good, and may earn them "good will". But I came away from The Fountainhead thinking less about artistic purity and more about not wanting to compromise or share. Furthermore, Rand's political followers (who may be misreading her) ignore any moral/ethical obligation to the whole community. Expecting people to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" is ignoring the impossibility of that task (which originated as a joke).
That said, I have always wondered about people who abuse power (e.g., sexual harassment). During my career, I've had to take many classes on that subject, on sensitivity, on prejudice, and I always come away thinking, "Do I really need to be taught to not be an asshole?" and "What sort of putz thinks they have the right to treat others this way?" I'm not saying that I am a perfect gentleman, but I also don't shit where I eat.
TIL that I know practically nothing about Rand more than “she is beloved by some politicians,” so I enjoyed the heck out of reading this. Thank you!
Interesting read.
"Ayn Rand's tower of logic life was a construct to protect her from the world she feared, having been scarred by her early years as a girl in Russia during the revolution. She could logic her way into and out of anything because she could argue around anybody."
--
Well put. Almost every ideology begins as an overcorrection against some earlier falling ideology, and hers is a great example. Claire Graves spoke to this in his work.