Mimpy

That's true. I didn't think of it that way. I still wouldn't want to show off my body to random people...they wouldn't deserve to see it.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/25/nude.cale...s.ap/index.html These women are posing almost completely naked for charity. They are doing it of their own volition, because they want to raise money for the lesser fortunate. Is volition all that matters in this case? I could not stand naked and let people take pictures of me...no matter how dear the reward would be. Seeing all of me would be a privilege...I take pride in who I am...I wouldn't let some irrational pervert buy a calendar and look at me for all of October, under the ostensible reason of charity. Would an Objectivist even purchase such a product?? How could women honestly want to reveal their bodies to complete strangers? If I did this, my own values would be desecrated. Please discuss! And happy holidays. P.S. I just thought of TF and how Dominique posed for the statue in the temple. I don't remember fully, but it was never known to more than just a few people that it was indeed Dominique Francon who that statue was modeled after....right?? Could you tell just by looking at the statue the identity of the person it intended to depict?

Why didn't I find this thread sooner? You guys represented Objectivism superlatively, though, so my two cents would be superfluous. The things that should have been said were said. Cheers to you guys!

Lol, I guess that's true in the technical sense.....but I think it's a lot easier when you're older and not controlled by your family. For me, there never seems to be enough time! Constant sneaking around, whispering, hurrying to get everything said and done, etc. But then again, it's still a lot of fun.

Thanks, guys, for all your input. It's helped me out tremendously. What some of you said...about giving people a chance to figure out what they believe....is a good idea. I have been told by my friends that sometimes I can be intimidating when someone doesn't believe something exactly the way I do. I immediately start telling them all the reasons why I am right and they are wrong. But I should let people figure it out for themselves, and in the mean time, value you them for all the things that we do agree upon. Just because I've figured it out already doesn't mean everyone has...and it doesn't mean that people won't figure it out in due time. So I think I'm going to try that tactic from now on. I have another tactic, too...which makes me smile when I think of it. On my backpack I've attached a pin that says "What Would John Galt Do?" Naturally almost everyone asks me what that means. I don't always tell them, however. I'm waiting for the day when someone comes up to me and answers the question themself. And I know that that may not happen any time soon, but I think it will definitely happen someday. That's the day I'm waiting for! When I have to stop explaining...and be with someone who truly understands. As for the Objectivist clubs some of you mentioned, that is a splendid idea. I'm definitely going to look into some of the local ones soon. Hopefully the college I attend next year will have an Objectivist club already, so then it won't be a problem. If not, then I'll have to start one myself. And Olex, as you said that relationships are a secondary value, I agree. I don't need anyone to make me feel my worth. I can live without other people if need be. It's just that I don't want to!

Is your girlfriend an Objectivist? If she's not, have you two discussed the meaning of love from an Objectivist point of view? I ask because if she is an Objectivist, then by you telling her all the reasons you love her and why you value those reasons should suffice to get your point across in the letter. If she is not familiar with Objectivist love, however, you would have to explain to her just why your values determine that she is the one you chose to love....and then proceed to tell her what it is exactly that you value about her and your relationship.

I try to follow the Objectivist philosophy as stringently as possible. I do this not because I want to say I follow a moral code but because I truly believe in everything Rand said. Naturally, I seek relationships with people who believe the same things I do, who follow the same moral code. However, I have never met an Objectivist in real life, with the exception of my uncle who introduced me to "The Fountainhead" in the first place. When I say "Objectivist" here, I don't necessarily mean someone who has read Rand but someone who feels the same as I about the world. I have never met such a person, but I desperately want to meet one. This forum helps. Rand's novels help. They assure me that people like that really do exist. I can't shut myself off from the world completely. I interact with people on a daily basis, but I make it clear to them where I stand on certain issues and find out how they feel about those issues, as well. I feel that when I engage in close relationships with people who do not believe what I do, I am slightly compromising my own values. For this reaon, I tend to stray from close relationships. I don't want to be close with someone whom I really cannot relate with. And thus far in my life, even though it's been a short life, I have never found someone I can truly be close to. For example, one of my classmates is a Mormon. He's a nice guy and we have several classes together, so we tend to always walk to those classes together. I have asked him about his faith, if he really believes everything Mormonism preaches, and why he believes it. He has given me answers. He knows what I think about religion in general. We don't argue about our differing beliefs...he accepts that I am different from him. And I, too, accept that he is different from me. But I know there is a distance between us that he may not even realize exists. I could never really open up to him because I know his values are not the same as mine. I have dated guys with differing beliefs. It has never worked out. So what do you do? Does you just wait it out, knowing that there are people out there like you, that it is only a matter of time before you find those people, or they find you? And if so, what do you do in the mean time? Compromise the meaning of friendship by befriending people who don't value friendship in the same way you do?

That's cute! I like that.

I think that's going a bit overboard. I mean, they should do it if they want to, but is it really necessary??

Thank you, everyone, for your input and your defense. I was so upset yesterday, and so today I stayed home from school and thought about my future and the plans I have to re-adjust. I have to get used to the fact that I'm not going to the university I've wanted to go to for such a long time. But it was kind of like what happened in "The Fountainhead" after a while. It only hurt down to a certain point. After that it didn't matter. After that I was too busy writing my college essays and planning for my future to be sad anymore. I guess it's just a process that I had to go through. All of your words did help, though. I wanted to analyze the situation objectively, and I could have only done that via this forum. And because DarkWaters wanted to know, I am also applying to Boston College, Duke, Cornell, Swarthmore, Georgetown, and Penn State Honors. Thanks again.

Something happened today and my reaction to it made me feel conflicted. Maybe you guys can help me out. I'm a senior in high school, and I applied early decision to the University of Pennsylvania. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the term "early decision," it means that I'd be notified earlier than usual if I were admitted and if I did get in, I'd be obligated to go there. Penn was my first choice because it's an excellent school and close to my home. I didn't get in. They sent me a letter saying, "We don't need you. We don't want you. Love, Penn." I'm not going to tell you guys every reason I should have gotten in, but I can say this much: I am a competent individual who would have excelled at Penn. I even took a class there this summer and got an A. I didn't even get deferred. I got rejected. I tried not to be upset. I tried not to cry. But I failed. I cried for over an hour. I couldn't help myself. I was so upset. Then I wondered to myself what I was doing. I realized that by crying over my rejection, I was allowing myself to believe that I needed Penn, that without it I could not be successful in life. I have always thought that my pride was within me...that I didn't need others to corroborate my achievements, that that they stand alone. Yet, I cried very hard tonight. And I know that's a contradiction. I think that the Objectivist would say that I shouldn't bother about my rejection...that I can succeed on my own and shouldn't let a college affect who I am. But I couldn't help it: I cried. Am I a weak Objectivist?

I liked Cooper. I thought he did a good job portraying Roark. I liked Wynand, too. I thought the woman who played Dominique Francon did a poor job. I was hardly convinced.

I like giving and receiving gifts. And I don't mind the music.

I agree fully with your statement. The people who think are the ones who have the potential to discover the truth. The people who take things at face value and do not question what is told to them can only hope that what they are told is the truth. Regardless, they believe blindly. To believe blindly is to not think, to not ponder.

I'm applying to college this year and it's completely nerve-wracking. I applied to the University of Pennsylvania early decision, and I'm really hoping I get accepted. I know I'm competent enough to succeed there. I know they know it, too, because I took a course there this summer and got an A. But there are other factors involved, I know, that I can't really control. But I find out if I got in or not on Thursday!!! As for improving scores on the SAT, I took a Kaplan course and it helped me minimally. I improved my skills through repetition. Also, the SAT consists of the same problems over and over again, just with different numbers. So understand the pattern of the questions and you should be all set.

Even if the teacher doesn't find out that you're cheating, it's still an unethical act to perform. The grade you will receive at the end of the semester will not be one you deserve. You have no right to that grade.

American Idol: I'm a singer and I enjoy watching other talented people sing. anything on Discovery Health: I love learning about medicine. Grey's Anatomy: I enjoy the rare medical stories they offer and also the character development. Law & Order: I like justice being served.

That's crazy!! Well, I see from your profile that you're at Duke now, which is just as great as MIT. I applied to Duke, too. Let's see if it works out for me!

You got into MIT without applying there? Dang, you must be good! Do share!

That's great!! So far I've gotten into Penn State. I'm waiting to hear from UPenn on Thursday!

On IMDB, the release is set for 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480239/ I am SO excited!!! If it really is a trilogy, then I think it will be awesome. I didn't like "The Fountainhead" movie very much because I thought it moved too quickly. I realize that they had to cut out many parts to fit the entire novel into one movie, but the excitement then vanished. If they condensed "Atlas Shrugged," I don't think they'd be doing justice to the novel. And Angelina Jolie is apparently officially playing Dagny. I can't really see her as Dagny!!

I love the idea of WWJGD! I think I'm going to purchase that bumper sticker for myself.

I want to be a surgeon. So I think I'm going to end up majoring in biology. And I'd like to minor in philosophy!