Atlas Shrugged Reflections

My name is Alex! I am 15, straight, cis, white, sorry. This is going to be a personal blog for twerking-class-citizen. I'll be pretty real on here, speaking my mind about anything politics to literature to religion, etc.

[angelclark]

Feds Put Up Signs Telling CATS To Stay Away — Because Cats Can Read? 

[deadbilly]

Your tax dollars at work.

[findchaos]

[videov0mit]

I’ve been waiting for this post all my life 

[kawalie]

the disclaimer though

[catdemonkaid]

reblogging again because I actually read the disclaimer this time…

[spacemuffinz]

have you ever felt a post with all your soul

[thoughts-on-objectivism]

The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini

My favorite aspect of this book was how Mr. Hosseini brought the reader through the process of redeeming Amir. The first half-or-so is spent making us hate him, and the second half focuses on his struggle for a clear conscience and eventually arriving there, becoming forgiven by those who were/are part of his life, as well as himself. It was also a vivid portrait of Afghanistan through it's changes.

[thoughts-on-objectivism]

The pitfalls of Altruism

"Altruism – The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others."

As is preached in Atlas Shrugged, simple belief is weakness. To think something means nothing. You say "In my opinion," and your whole state of existence may be questioned. To know something–now that is what Any Rand wants for her readers. The power that one gives themselves by accepting what they opine as fact is how a minority of humans rise to greatness. To expand along that path and give you an example; What is success for you? Here you are, the power of success in your hand, simply by the realization of a goal.

Disinterest is another pitiful mindset. If there is anything in the world that you cannot see as an opportunity, that thing will never serve as such for you. If you are disinterested in yourself, you may not see hope for anything you touch in an attempt to make better. If you claim to do something for the good of another it is intended to make you feel better about yourself, correct? Therefore, selflessness cannot exist. If an act is entirely to the benefit of another, with only negative consequence for oneself, that person must have a vested interest in the group they mutilated themselves for. Isn't the idea that one can be so well off they can afford to hurt oneself arrogance? is that not an open insult to those who lived their lives struggling for themselves who never received favors like that? or would it be better for those who wanted favors to have received them? It would cause them to prosper, after all.

The well-being that person requested through yearning to have things be given to them is a well-being they cannot see for themselves, and will therefore never be, based on the Law of Attraction.

Altruism is a philosophy that has no integrity. While it may seem to be a viable basis for a communistic society, its practicality will never hold up against analysis of the Altruist's premises.

[thoughts-on-objectivism]

"He knew no weapons but to pay for what he wanted, to give value, to ask nothing of nature without trading his effort in return, to ask nothing of men without trading the product of his effort."

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

[thoughts-on-objectivism]

Women in Industry, as if by Dagny Taggart

In a world controlled by men, the woman is a minority group. The purpose of a woman, to these men, is performing tasks of chore and pleasure, nothing more. Women may be quite skilled in these areas, if they are so inclined, and may receive any level of fulfillment from them. It is that woman's preference, to what she focuses her life.

At times, one must deliberately work to not be one of these women who fit the outline of patriarchal dictation. The world of business and industry has never seen governing from a female majority. It isn't easy to be in the position of underdog, but that is not the point. If one wants an easy life, they may conform, and still end up with struggle. Otherwise, they may chose where they will find struggle consciously, and be much more content because of it.

[thoughts-on-objectivism]

All life is a purposeful struggle, and your only choice is the choice of a goal.

John Galt in Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

[thoughts-on-objectivism]

Privilege as if by Francisco d'Anconia

To begin, privilege doesn't exist. Nothing one does in life entitles them to anything, nothing one doesn't do in life entitles them to anything, and nothing one is born into entitles them to anything. All things must be earned, and if one works to earn something without receiving their reward, they have not earned anything but experience.

Would there be a man who receives that which he does nothing for, that man would be evil. Would there be a man who creates prosperity for himself through mutually affirmative exchange with others, that man would be good. To say that these men are different in nature is true. Nonetheless, they are equals, deserving nothing than to be treated as such.

Learning is the tool that advances society, and advancements to society make us understand that what we have learned before is wrong. Fundamental moral truths such as the nature of privilege are not things that should be made subject to manipulation, or so may the integrity of society fall.

[thoughts-on-objectivism]

A Brief List of Self-Evident Laws, as if by Hank Rearden

We, as men, are equals. Not in privilege, but in aptitude. The challenges of one’s circumstances are circumventable. This is evident in the world of industry.

The nature of exchange is based upon mutualism. Corruption is derived from uneven balance in any transaction, where one party takes advantage over the other. 

Ethics and morals are not relative, as is often imposed, as a means of justifying ones own regression. To maintain progression, it is imperative to uphold one’s own standard in oneself, being an example for one’s contemporaries.

Impulse is the flaw of man’s vitality. While it is known that the success of life is founded in risk, reality dictates that rationalism must overcome brutal instincts.

It is not necessary to put others before oneself to be a just person. To impede one’s own existence for others’ benefit is to be slave of the corrupt, but likewise, to work at the expense of others is corrupt.