July 25, 2002

I've been finding lots of

I've been finding lots of throwaway comments about how Ayn Rand is all anti-democrat, super-republican, super-capitalist etc. Stuff like how someon bets that Randism has probably decreased as unemployment has increased, how people nod knowingly when they hear that Alan Greenspan is a devoted Rand follower, etc. I haven't read Atlas Shrugged yet, only The Foundation, but I guess I didn't quite see the connection between the characters/theme in The Foundation and the implied belief of these comments.

I remember thinking that the book had a lot to say about integrity. There were a lot of character journeys where people did things that were true to themselves and were ostracized for it, and kept doing those things that were true to themselves anyway. There was also a big feeling of "Choose Your Own Destiny", of making your own way, of creating your own future. I don't equate that with republicanism or lack of compassion for others. I think there are four main ingredients to "making your own future":

  1. An open relationship with one's passions and fears
  2. An ability to see solutions
  3. An ability to put plans into action
  4. Self-love
I think those are all worthy goals for anyone to try and attain. Do I think they are skills that can be learned? I think that statement is partially true. I think some of us are born with more blessings than others. I think some people need more assistance and more effort to become more skilled in some of these areas. For me personally, I think I am very good at #1 and #2 - I was born with #2 and have learned #1 - and I have a really tough time with #3.

The problem is that people create a relationship between two concepts:

  • "making good",
  • Judging against those who haven't.
There's no causal relationship between the two.

Imagine someone who feels deficient in one of these areas, and improves it through a motivation of desperation. From a place of tightness. They might end up fixing their vulnerability in their estimation, but they are then in turn more likely to hate or judge against someone who has the same weakness (I'm using the terminology as they would see it). So I think that is why many people believe that someone who has "made good" is by definition not compassionate of those who aren't in the same place. Because it is often true. But, it really doesn't necessarily follow. I don't think the challenge is to make good - I think it's to make good without being desperate about it. It's desperation, not success, that clouds love and compassion.

Anyway, like I said, I haven't read Atlas Shrugged yet. For all I know it might have 400 pages of moralizing about how some lazy paraplegic doesn't get off his ass to run a marathon. And I have to admit I remember some pretty weird stuff stuff in The Foundation about the protagonist having an affair with someone who really didn't have his interests at heart, and he knew that, and got involved with her anyway. I don't know what that has to do with integrity. So this isn't really a defense of Rand. :) Posted by Curt at July 25, 2002 08:08 PM