Superman123

Perhaps this does not add to the post but one thing that I can identify with lex_aver is that I always seem to want to know… “What did Ayn Rand get wrong” And then I will want to know what she got right … although I always enjoy her non-fiction writing. Perhaps for some reading lex_aver you will appreciate the following link http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/critics/ . My own interest in Ayn Rand is more some kind of egocentricity that fuels my need to understand things. Even if Ayn Rand got some things are wrong in Objectivism I would quote the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy “I'd far rather be happy than right any day.” Does this mean that I contradict myself… well who said I can’t? Lex_aver interesting post. I hope that they don’t block it but perhaps you should be more polite?

I find understanding things very important. So important that I do not care so much that I agree or disagree with something as long as I can understand it. I sincerely appreciate your posts softwareNerd & Nicky. I had the experience similar to a lens which were out of focus but then suddenly the picture came into view. Very interesting post JASKN. I sometime imagine the experience that I can almost taste words. Odd experience really. And you always use the most delightful words. In this case I rather enjoyed the words 'Ideally', 'tentatively' and 'strict' which had the most peculiar taste, very peculiar. But thank you for the reply and I enjoyed the understanding.

Please comment on this article and what the Objectivist answer to this will be: http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2013/04/01/op-ed-guess-what-%E2%80%94-were-oppressors

Sorry about my spelling it is the bane of my existence.

Question: How far and wide can a man cast the net of is and out? When do you use is/out?. Can a man decide what his identity is? If man's life is his standard can he refuse and say his life is not his standard of being? How about someone who modifies or changes their sexuality because of a traumatic event with a certain gender. I know these are basic questions but having this as an example to reflect upon will help me understand it better.

    I am very much a mono-homo, exceptionally attracted to macho male homo sapiens. Primarly seeking monogamous mojo with said entities.

Intellectualammo, I can understand why you would seem to have some misgivings with homosexuality. The Objectivist position that homosexuality is ‘tolerable’ because gays and lesbians did not choose it is (I think) a very weak and negative argument. But this whole topic for me has become a bit tedious and boring. Whatever you think about it, I really don’t care, apart from amusing myself with this little post.

If you want to know what Christians will make of this olive branch you need to look no further than the hateful Paul Ryan. He puts it so exactly: I reject her philosophy. It’s an atheist philosophy. It reduces human interactions down to mere contracts and it is antithetical to my worldview. If somebody is going to try to paste a person’s view on epistemology to me, then give me Thomas Aquinas, who believed that man needs divine help in the pursuit of knowledge. Don’t give me Ayn Rand. http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/04/26/ryan-now-rejects-ayn-rand-will-the-real-paul-ryan-please-come-forward/

I realize that I have really expressed myself badly. Fortunately, despite this, you all have answered my question. For my own satisfaction, I would like to restate what I was trying to say above as specifically as I can. I was too in a rush previously: I have been thinking that, ‘spending time thinking about ‘the big questions’ wastes your time from focusing your resources (thoughts, time and action) on achieving what you want from life. An example is that I spent some time thinking and reading on ideas such as rational selfishness, moral relativism, ego, altruism etc but would my time not have been better spent on actually living life and pursuing my goals. Most people use their resources in the following manner: They learn only what they need to know and use their minds to solve the problems in their lives as they come up. Perhaps I am avoiding actually acting on and achieving my goals by distractions. I could have benefited from Objectivism by reading ‘For the new intellectual’ once in a while. I know Attila is a philosophical archetype but he clearly does not worry about the big questions and I cannot see him (contrary to what Ayn Rand explains) feeling guilty about any altruistic morality. Lastly, I really like Objectivism. It is interesting but perhaps I should just get on with life and live it.

I want to put the genie back into the box. I have realized that thinking deep does not make you happier. In fact thinking about the big questions in life only makes you unhappier. Sometime I wish I can be that insensitive guy that does goes through his day only thinking about his gym routine or making some more money. I want my life to be about owning a great house, car and an awesome husband. That's all. In the story of Attila and the witchdoctor. Do you know who is the happiest: Attila! He never takes this nonsense about morality seriously but automatically, almost by instinct does what he thinks is in his self-interest. He never suffers any guilt feelings about not giving to the poor - he scoffs at the whole idea and dies happy living the life he chose. I on the other hand live under the torture of always wanting to know: ‘What is life all about anyway?’ How I wish I could put the genie in the bottle and put a lid on it. Does someone know how.

You could purchase him the Atlas Shrugged movies that have just recently been released, indeed a good place to begin for someone who does not read. I also think that the documentaries *‘Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged’* and also ‘Ayn Rand - A Sense of Life’ could also be interesting. Further I could also suggest some non objectivist documentaries ‘Religulous’ and ‘Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life’. Although these films are not Objectivist (e.g. ‘Religulous’ promotes the idea of doubt/agnosticism) I think it is important to get exposed to various ideas like these to learn to think for yourself. Are you sure you want to expose him to these ideas?

Why would anybody worry about the human race dying out? There are so many breeders going around! Some malls I won’t even go to ‘cause there are so many breeders roaming around with their screaming kids.

Whenever the bible is quoted I never seem to be able to concentrate on the words. I feel too ill.

<p> I have recently gone through a similar experience as qpwoeiru. I started walking 30min a day and it really helped a lot. It really helped me clear my thinking. It seems like my best thinking that I do is now when I am doing my daily walk. I am very amazed by the experience.

<p> I was hoping that the Republicans would use the following four years to actually chuck these guys out. Why do you think they won't do this SoftwareNerd?

Only want to share an important thing. I used Propecia for years but the best results only came in the last few 2 - 3 months when I included the Nizoral shampoo. I also wash my hair now with a gentle shampoo every day. I have been waiting for Propecia to reduce my sex drive but I am very much disappointed.

<p> I use Propecia and it really works extremely well. I see no side effects. Also combine it with Nizoral shampoo twice a week.

Been reading Age of Envy from The New Left. It deals with some of these issues specifically. It is very interesting. It is amazing her insight.

Dont worry JASKN I think you are on the winning side. Despite what all the doomsday-sayers think our world and especially American will become more and more capitalistic and Objectivism will become a very popular philosophy.

<p> This is similar to what all the gay people in my country was saying. Every gay person was saying that the gay activists are crazy and extreme. Everybody was saying that we have gained acceptance and should move on from old ideas. Until somebody actually wanted to take their rights away. Oh you should have heard how every gay man and women was going on. I was scared somebody should would do somethings stupid.On another topic. I am currently enjoying reading Ayn Rand. I do try and read as much as I can but I find it hard to get the time. I enjoy her ideas but I have realized it would only work in an utopia where everybody is rational, a kind of Atlantis. But not everybody is rational and that is why we have things like regulations etc.

Harvey Milk did help further civil rights for gay people but I can understand that if you are thinking in terms of Objectivism that would not be a good thing. Being an openly gay Supervisor at the time is enough for me to say that he did alot to change views of gay people at the time.

Nicky, I have been thinking about what to respond to you. If you look at conservatives and even the right most has spent a lot of enery if you look at your history to make homosexuality illegal. Today the conservatives are not talking about this 'cause of the huge effort made by the civil rights movement. If there was not civil rights movement there would not even have been a dabte about same sex marriage or anything. Why dont you show from history where the right and specifically the conservatives fought for gay rights before the 1960s.

<p> I agree with what people are saying here. Very much so. But always remember it was people like Harvey Milk that fought for civil rights that changed the culture. If it was not for people like him we would never have what we have today. The conservatives did nothing for the gay community. In fact today they are trying their best to destroy any rights gay people have.

<p> This is something that has been troubling me for a while and you have not suffiently answered me on this whYNOT. What happens when the majority of people are homophobic. If enough people are they could socially ostracise us e.g. not purchase from shops that employ gay people. Eventually no gay man or woman would think it is safe to be out. I have been thinking you cannot have spiritual values without wealth or money but also without spriritual values wealth has no value to me.

<p> I trained according to Arnold Schwarzenegger's "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" Perhaps you do not consider his training method high volume training but I consider it so.