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If you like each other so much, having patience over philosophic differences should be easier than just between two friends, or two people who are just dating and aren't very sure of their feelings yet. In my opinion, the "like each other so much" is the most important part. It's mostly subconscious and means that in a way you've already evaluated each other in a positive light -- even if there are otherwise disagreements when discussing philosophy explicitly. Yes, it's true that philosophy is at the base of all thought and action. So, a disagreement over, say, whether someone should spend his life helping the poor versus helping himself, ie. altruism versus egoism, would be a major problem. However, if he really lives by Objectivist principles and still has strong feelings for you, it is likely that your character has those principles and the values that match. Even if you haven't given as much thought to the nitty gritty reasons behind those principles, you may still be more or less living by them -- hence, he is attracted to you. If you really are open to new ideas, and he already likes you, he should consider himself lucky. A question you might ask him is, "Have you always held these Objectivist principles for yourself?" It's likely he had a period, maybe a long period, where he had to learn them and start using them. I know I did -- I started out Christian. It would be unfair for me to meet a new friend and expect her to already know about and use these principles which took so long for me to adopt. But, I may still get along with the person, for good reasons. It would then be up to me to be patient with the new friend while she "caught up," or just to be OK with her remaining the same, if she wasn't so interested in philosophy. In your case, if philosophy is a big interest of your boyfriend's, it may be worth it for you to try to better learn the "deepness" of the principles he talks to you about.

If you can get the forum listed here and here as a safe haven for students wanting to start their own campus club, it could be an excellent growth opportunity. The Local Forums could be expanded to accommodate them, and moderation could be delegated as needed.

This has been seen on here before though. Some folks come here wishing to discuss things outside of the scope on which this board focuses. The way I usually put it; they want to buy hammers at a shoe store. This site has a particular and defined focus on the discussion and advocacy of the philosophy of Objectivism. When people are not allowed to take it beyond that, they tend to get upset. They seem to think that they should be allowed to discuss whatever they want here, regardless of the focus of this site, and when denied they typically make accusations that the forum is incestuous and narrow minded in nature. They are oblivious to the fact that MANY participants here also use other forums for broader discussion, but come here for more focused discussion. There are many avenues on the internet which any forum member can use outside of this forum to discuss whatever it is they want to discuss without requiring or demanding that this forum dilute the focus it is intended to have. Until they understand that, they will be frustrated at being reigned in when they go off course. That people left this board in a huff is not necessarily an indication of failure on the part of the forum or the moderation; it is more likely a failure on their part to grasp the focus and purpose of this board. The moral of the story; don't go to a shoe store and get pissed off when they won't sell you a screwdriver. So the idea is not to simply increase popularity or membership of the board by any means, it is to increase popularity or membership within the bounds of the purpose of the forum. I'm sure we could have membership swell to great bounds if we, for example, decided to open it up for the discussion and advocacy of Libertarianism or Communism.