chicoflaco

The realization that a billion people are starving. Quit whining. This always works for me.

Obviously this is meant as a joke. No real professor would be that stupid or would put up with condescension in the classroom. The student is making many cognitive leaps in his arguments. For example, just because you can't see the professor's brain and you have to have "faith" that he has one is by no means a perfect analogy for having faith in a higher power. Too many others to list...!

This book is awful. Cormac's metaphors make no sense, he's foggy and lacks clarity and I remember that he gives the horse omniscience, like the horse knows what the guy is thinking. When I read that I was like, ok that's enough.

The Towers of Ilium by Myrhaf... My first initial gut response to this poem was negative; I don't like it. It is a tired subject and could've been written by a high school student, it lacks the professional punch, if that is what you would call it -- very few of the poetic devices that make a poem a poem. For example, I love apt metaphors, but there are none. Definitely not a sense of life affirming poem now is it?! I prefer happy poems and themes of blood and hell and death don't really do it for me.

I remember it is as being extremely gripping -- but then I have a conscious. I imagine sociopaths would get NOTHING from the book! haha It was quite suspenseful (will he get caught or won't he?!?) and the air loomed with murder, the guilt hung in every word. Masterfully written, though a god-awful subject and as far removed from an aesthetically pleasing sensibility as you could get. I didn't like the ending at all, though I'm sure some would find it hopeful in a way.

Don Quixote was the biggest waste of my time ever! It is just a series of little events strung together and everything just fell drastically apart in the last few chapters, like Cervantes was drunk. It is a rambling mess and undoubtedly one of the worst books I've ever read in my life -- I had to read it for a lit class I was taking, otherwise I would never have. NO ONE would admit that Don Quixote started the trend of novels -- where did you get that from?! Don Quixote and Moby Dick should be stricken from all classrooms.

Unfortunately studies have shown that you DO NOT get stress relief from anger -- there is always a trace of discord within the body (perhaps through slight galvanic skin response), and you are aware of "the anger" on a conscious level as well. Why taint something ("I am a happy person"), why death by a thousand cuts, why do this to yourself, now that you know that studies have shown the harmful effects -- you don't have to take Rand's word for it -- and the dis-ease it causes, even on a miniscule level? When I was younger and stupider I wanted to be cool so I listened to this type of music, then I grew up. Try conditioning yourself to Mozart for a few weeks in isolation from negative friends who hate classical music and watch how much happier you will be. Odd, but it works.

Final Fantasy music is exactly the melancholic, spooky, atmospheric, suspended, sense-of-life-sucking stuff that Rand would loathe! I personally find it quite literally to be lacking in talent, but that is because I'm a composer and know what complexity in music really is, and not just simulated like in the Final Fantasy scores. My $.02.

My professional resume is quite diverse. You'll find that you start off with Career A and love it, but then five years down the road you want to do Career B, and I think that is fine. I kept doing that until I settled on something that suits me to a tee! Oddly enough, my university education, though it opened a lot of other career doors in the past, has very little bearing on what I'm doing now, though I am getting paid as a professional! I took a career-aptitude workshop (no need to see a shrink!) before I took one post-high school course -- I can't recommend that enough! It helped to answer some key questions very pertinent to my career, such as: 1) Do I prefer to work alone or in a group/team? 2) Do I like working indoors or outdoors? 3) Do I like to travel? 4) Do I like doing the same thing every day? 5) What salary expectations do I have? 6) Do I like to get my hands dirty? 7) Am I a good leader? etc etc etc You CAN have your cake and eat it too when it comes to your careers.

You sound all too human. Your questioning and confliction and lack of clarity strike me as natural for a student who is discovering his/her brilliance. I wouldn't expect too great a life without some sort of internal struggle to overcome or without major obstacles along the way. From perusing your post it sounds to me like you are quite far away from achieving the apotheosis of a "sense of life". I personally don't think you can chase Rand's "sense of life"; you just have it or you don't. When you do meaningful work (do what you love!) and quit being a student and forget about everything else -- including unsupportive parents (who has supportive parents nowadays?!) -- then a "sense of life" will overwhelm you! You'll wake up one day and feel alive like you've never felt before.

I remember reading that gestalt therapy was especially effective for treating drug addiction et al. Gestaltist would "shock" their patients ("You are a loser!") and break their usual pattern and get them riled up for change. That and a lot of other techniques, but this one seemed the most interesting to me.

Pimpling oneself is pretty much self-explanatory and needs to no further comment. Trump is more of a Wynard than a Roark-type. Any Rand felt there was hope for Wynard, and that is how I feel about Trump. I dislike Trump for his pursuit of wealth and power. Ayn Rand's philosophy is that a man should have just enough to make his life comfortable, and anything more is unnecessary. Investors take financial risks, but produce nothing; others are toiling over the creation of wealth. In the '80s, how many baby boomers because rich through inflation? Lots! Only Trump did it on a much grander scale, and yes, many did become billionaires. In the late '80s he produced little and was very close to bankruptcy in 1990. Trump undoubtedly has a hegemony on real estate, yet I said nothing about it being wrong that only the rich can afford to stay in his properties, though I'm sure the masses would cringe at the thought of exclusion.

It is 100% a woman's decision to have a child, so it SHOULD NOT be illegal for a man to break up with his pregnant girlfriend. Wow, what is the world coming to?!? If the woman decides to have the child against the man's wishes, I don't believe he should have to support the child either, especially if he will not have anything to do with raising the child.

How can a screenplay possibly cover such a lengthy tome as The Fountainhead?! Ayn Rand did cover all the "valuable" content -- what was missing for you then? The inexplicable is quite explicable. Roark working at the quarry shows he is not afraid of work, that a man must produce for himself and not live off of another man, even if that means labouring in the quarries. It also has the effect of showing a great character arc; Roard becomes a sublime architect. Gary Cooper disappointing you is something that I can't argue with as that is more opinion than anything; I liked his performance immensely. I see the ideal man as being a little stiff.

I tried reading it and couldn't get past the first couple of pages. I loved his magnus opus, The Remains of the Day, and consider that book to be in my top ten list of fiction. Could you explain why this book is pertinent for Objectivists? You could give spoiler warnings for those who are sensitive to things like that.

Are you allowed to promote a website in this forum?!

I can't help but see him more as a Wynard than a Roark -- I don't think Roark would pimp himself and brand everything he touched. Power for the sake of power; money for the sake of money; more for the sake of more, seems to be Trump's philosophy. Trump ultimately made his billions by borrowing and by riding the wave of inflation, and by producing little. Wynard wasn't completely hopeless and that is how I feel about Trump; I see him promoting his mug in too many movies, but then he will put up a beautiful building, albeit an expensive one that only the rich can afford.

If two consenting adults value each other enough, then there is nothing immoral about sex for the sake of release. Ayn Rand said it herself that sex is a powerful instinctual urge that is important to a man. The problem however is disease. In today's world, casual sex is no longer an option. I would definitely need to see some bloodtest results first, otherwise I would rather engage in auto-eroticism than put on a condom and engage in mediocre sex, and mediocre sex it would be.

Whether a person is Black or not, the word nigger or nigga should not be used, even in a friendly sense ("You my nigga!") Using that word shows a lack of class, irregardless of the context in how it is used. Some scholars could argue that nigga falls under the proper nomenclature of Ebonics, but I know that Ayn Rand would never resort to using words that some races would take offense to, and especially using those words in a loose, how's my nigga?, kind of way.

I understand where you are coming from, and it is possible to love two people romantically -- I think just about every healthy adult has faced a choice like this at one point, but it isn't recommended to get yourself into as it is hard to detract yourself emotionally, physically etc. You can't just have one cookie! And if you have to sneak around on your girlfriend to be with another woman than that eats away at your soul, even if you do get short-term pleasure of orgasm. Of course if you discussed this with your girlfriend your whole relationship would change, so tread carefully! If your girlfriend is someone that you place a high value upon, it is probably best to stick to the fantasy of the other woman than to actually indulge. If you have already indulged in sex with both, extract yourself as smoothly as you can from one relationship and keep her as a platonic friend or as mere fantasy if you value her enough. When choosing between romantic partners, great sex shouldn't necessarily be given the most weight in your decision! It is tough being a guy in today's society I feel, but in the end you have to do what you feel is good for you, though I believe that you will never be satisfied until you put your foot down and stick with one partner sexually, and keep all other women as platonic friends only.

If a person finds something valuable (say over $1000 like a nice camera) but it was found in a public place -- with no obvious owner in sight, does he or she have to try and make an effort to find its owner? Say a receipt was in the bag, or a phone number or a name. I know what Ayn Rand thinks about found objects in public places (not stealing), but is a person morally obligated to at least try to contact the original owner if he or she thinks they can locate him/her?

Gee thanks for the warmth Erik. If you consider the North American society as a whole, I'm freaking pious in comp!

Reading all of your replies makes me realize that I'm not perfect, but as long as I'm striving in the right direction to make myself a better person, than that is what really matters.

I keep hearing the word pursue! What does that mean exactly in today's terms?! Sounds precariously close to stalking! And others have said (Jennifer for one) that u have to pursue a woman BEFORE asking her out. What exactly is this, can u give an example?! I recently asked out a girl to no avail, and I would like to "pursue" her and ask her out again when a reasonable amount of time has passed. If she truly is my Dominique then who cares how many times I ask her? Who wants a girl that is too easy, right? The 1001th time might be the one? Or is that completely off track? When I think back to girls who wanted to go out with me and I wasn't that interested, I WENT OUT WITH THEM ANYWAY! And I have never had regrets, so why are some women so prudish?! I would be extremely flattered if a woman never gave up on me. Sigh

I agree with the value statement above...she says she has been dating a lot of losers, so a guy like me comes along who is successful, tall and good-looking, educated and financially secure, and she flakes out! Update: I have just learnt that this woman has lied to me twice and has broken a promise that she made me, so I guess I have learnt my lesson. As well, she has been talking somewhat negatively about me to her coworkers (I got the scoop from an insider at her work.) What gives?! Can't a guy ask a girl out to a movie without being condemned nowadays? Unfortunately this girl is so beautiful, but there is something not quite right about her, and I'm leaning towards sociopathy.