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if you met John Galt in real life...

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...and he made fun of you for not being as rich/talented as him.

what would your response be?

(I'm assuming this forum is not stashed with millionaires, but I could be wrong)

You mean if he acted in a way completely inconsistent with the character in the novel? Mmm, what would be my response…

How about another ‘what if’? How about if you met Jesus and he told you there is no God, no afterlife, and that he was really a Hellenizing devotee of Aristippus and/or Epicurus, who only preached an opposite philosophy because it helped him get laid? And that Monty Python had it right, he really did say “Blessed are the cheese-makers”.

All I can say is that I’d find it all most peculiar.

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...and he made fun of you for not being as rich/talented as him.

what would your response be?

I can easily answer this question if you tell me your answer to this one:

If you met Mother Teresa and she was going to kill you with a machete, but you had a gun pointed at her... what would you do?

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I can easily answer this question if you tell me your answer to this one:

If you met Mother Teresa and she was going to kill you with a machete, but you had a gun pointed at her... what would you do?

I would gun her down, you?

edit:

come on guys, I'm assuming some of you have experience in being in the workforce. everyone knows how you feel about socialists. But how do you really feel about your fellow capitalist business competitors? (do you prefer friendly competition? or something a bit more cut-throat?)

Edited by Puzzle Peddler
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The idea of friendly or cut throat competition is irrelevant to your question. I have had both as a business manager and further I have had both at the same time with the same person, and in all cases it has nothing to do with acting like an ass. What you are describing is simply someone being rude.

What that sounds like is someone who has self-esteem issues, someone who needs to gain an advantage by tearing another person down, and Galt would be the last person in the novel to have self-esteem issues. James Taggart would be the character to try and gain an advantage by pulling out the superiority stick and clubbing someone with it, since he is the character who would need it.

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The idea of friendly or cut throat competition is irrelevant to your question. I have had both as a business manager and further I have had both at the same time with the same person, and in all cases it has nothing to do with acting like an ass. What you are describing is simply someone being rude.

What that sounds like is someone who has self-esteem issues, someone who needs to gain an advantage by tearing another person down, and Galt would be the last person in the novel to have self-esteem issues. James Taggart would be the character to try and gain an advantage by pulling out the superiority stick and clubbing someone with it, since he is the character who would need it.

I'm not sure if I agree. People can act rude just for fun it seems.

Also what about this: if you knew a competitor recently lost their spouse, and you decide to walk them really often while constantly showing off your spouse... and they see it and become depressed, and their business suffer as a result... that's not really a matter of bolstering self-esteem, that just seems like a business strategy to me.

Is there a general rational requirement to not be an ass? I guess that's the question.

Edited by Puzzle Peddler
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Is there a general rational requirement to not be an ass? I guess that's the question.

Then why not ask about 'real' people like Donald Trump or Gordon Ramsey? I put 'real' in scare quotes because I think they project exaggerated personae on their TV shows. The character of John Galt has nothing to do with it.

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come on guys, I'm assuming some of you have experience in being in the workforce. everyone knows how you feel about socialists. But how do you really feel about your fellow capitalist business competitors? (do you prefer friendly competition? or something a bit more cut-throat?)
I know a fair number of people who are richer than I am, and I've never heard them make fun of someone for not being as rich as them. If they did, one would treat them like any other jerk... and that might mean a whole lot of thing.

But, that has nothing to do with your original question, which was about John Galt doing something diametrically opposite of what he would do in character... which is just silly.

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I'm not sure if I agree. People can act rude just for fun it seems.

Sure, they can be rude for fun. It is a confession of sorts that someone gets off on putting others down however.

Also what about this: if you knew a competitor recently lost their spouse, and you decide to walk them really often while constantly showing off your spouse... and they see it and become depressed, and their business suffer as a result... that's not really a matter of bolstering self-esteem, that just seems like a business strategy to me.

A business strategy is a strategy of how to run your business. Putting down someone is not a business strategy. It can be a tactic some people use but once again it is a confession unrelated to egoism or free markets – It is a psychological confession that A) One has to tear someone down since they are not good enough to succeed through their own virtues, and B ) One has to feel good about oneself by demolition someone else. Both are self-esteem issues. Someone of sufficient self-esteem does not care about other people or their current “status”. They are focused on themselves, not others.

Is there a general rational requirement to not be an ass? I guess that's the question.

Self-Esteem is one. But really it is a psychological issue and an issue of etiquette.

Edited by Spiral Architect
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Then why not ask about 'real' people like Donald Trump or Gordon Ramsey? I put 'real' in scare quotes because I think they project exaggerated personae on their TV shows. The character of John Galt has nothing to do with it.

I was worried that someone might go on a tangent and say that they are "not real capitalists" or something (because of certain things they've done/said in the past). But yes, doesn't have to be John Galt.

I know a fair number of people who are richer than I am, and I've never heard them make fun of someone for not being as rich as them. If they did, one would treat them like any other jerk... and that might mean a whole lot of thing.

But, that has nothing to do with your original question, which was about John Galt doing something diametrically opposite of what he would do in character... which is just silly.

*see explanation above

Edited by Puzzle Peddler
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Quote

Is there a general rational requirement to not be an ass? I guess that's the question.

Self-Esteem is one. But really it is a psychological issue and an issue of etiquette.

Any thoughts on dealing with this kind of problem from the opposing side? As in something like the following (this is kind of from personal experience):

Let's say one has a boss, who's a fairly rational and very competent business person, but is also very arrogant and likes talking smack to his subordinates. What is one to make of that? Should it be:

1) good for you, you worked hard to get to where you are, have some fun verbally abusing me if you want, its only talking after all.

2) something else more negative?

Edited by Puzzle Peddler
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[if you met John Galt in real life...]...and he made fun of you for not being as rich/talented as him.

what would your response be?

(I'm assuming this forum is not stashed with millionaires, but I could be wrong)

I would have to have him verify what time the fishwife is supposed to be having us over for dinner.
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Based on your question I would say that you were missing the point of the philosophy. It begins in a man soul to seek is own happiness. Every man has a talent and the goal is not necessarily riches. Success is acheived in the doing or creating, not the money earned or the people server. John Galt would not make fun of someone in this context, however he may challenge a take.

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  • 3 months later...

...and he made fun of you for not being as rich/talented as him.

what would your response be?

(I'm assuming this forum is not stashed with millionaires, but I could be wrong)

I seriously doubt whether John Galt would waste precious minute of his life mocking me.  But if he did,  I would spit in his eye.

 

I do no take kindly to unjust and unnecessary insults,  even from a Hero of Production.

 

ruveyn1

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I seriously doubt whether John Galt would waste precious minute of his life mocking me.  But if he did,  I would spit in his eye.

 

I do no take kindly to unjust and unnecessary insults,  even from a Hero of Production.

 

ruveyn1

you would react to non-force with force?  He's justified in making any fun of you he wants, now.

Edited by My 99 are free
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...and he made fun of you for not being as rich/talented as him.

what would your response be?

(I'm assuming this forum is not stashed with millionaires, but I could be wrong)

Galt would not make fun of you like that because of his self-esteem. This hypothetical is complete nonsense.
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come on guys, I'm assuming some of you have experience in being in the workforce. everyone knows how you feel about socialists. But how do you really feel about your fellow capitalist business competitors? (do you prefer friendly competition? or something a bit more cut-throat?)

Business is not like sports which are zero sum games where one can only win if another loses. Your own ability to create wealth does not deprive any one else from also creating wealth because there is an unlimited amount of wealth. Only business failures believe the lie that Capitalism is a zero sum game... and it is precisely that belief in what is false which has caused them to fail.

Edited by moralist
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