Introducing Myself

[mweiss]

I missed this thread, as I discovered this site through a Google search, looking into philosophy-related links, but now that I've found the Intro forum, I'll do so now.

I have been into Objectivism since the mid 1960s. I have read most of Ayn Rand's works by the mid '70s. Her philosophy, simply put, makes sense to me, as it explains fundamental concepts with a clarity and certainty that no other philosopher has managed to accomplish.

It is nice to find a group of Objectivist minds online. I was beginning to wonder where everyone went. My last real contact with Objectivists in person was in 1980, when I attended Dr. Peikoff's lectures in New York. My only contact with Ayn Rand was during intermission at Carnegie Hall, while attending Dr. Alan Blumenthal's piano concert, I met her in the gallery and had a brief chat with her. It seems like most of the Objectivist principals have relocated to the west coast now, so there have not been as many opportunities for me to attend lectures as there used to be.

I have not been actively involved in Objectivist groups in recent years, as the climate has shifted away from such activities, coupled with some major events in my life that had great impact on me. But over the course of my life, Objectivist principles have been a guiding force for my moral convictions. My non-compromising attitude had not won me popularity among the general populous, but the few friends I have made are engaged in quality relationships with me and we enjoy good intellectual discourse when we debate.

Now that I have found a gathering of Objectivists (my parents used to refer to themselves as "students of Objectivism"--they reserved the title "Objectivist" to people like Ayn Rand or Dr. Peikoff) I would like to collaborate on several thought exercises with the intent of developing practical ideas that can be introduced into the political/economic system of government. We all know there are huge deficiencies in the moral conduct of government, so I'm sure we can all agree that improving government is a selfish goal that benefits us as individuals.

About me, aside from philosophy, I am fascinated by multimedia, electronics, computer graphics, music composition and also happen to be an avid audiophile. I have an 11-month-old daughter, Amanda, and my wife and I are happily-married.

[Richard Roark]

Welcome to the Forum, I to was happy to find this place when I came across it. I hope you enjoy your time here.

[HaloNoble6]

Welcome to the forum, Mark, it's always great to have reasoning minds added to the forum's member-list. Can you tell us more about what it was like to meet Ayn Rand?

[mweiss]

Thank you both for the warm welcome.

Meeting Ayn Rand was quite different than I had anticipated.

I had always held a vision of her as a strict disciplinarian, and was nervous about meeting her and what her reaction would be.

To my surprise, I found her to be approachable, pleasant (once she understood my intentions) and, in a strange way, almost vulnerable, as if she somehow needed my attention as her witness. It was a brief encounter, but I thanked her for her work and explained that I loved her for her accomplishments. Her reply was "if that is how you meant it, then I accept."

The really odd part was our initial meeting. I tripped on her foot (and at that instant, recalled how she had tripped Frank O'Conner when they first met). She was apologetic and that broke the ice and we struck up a brief conversation. Of course I was simply awed to have even 20 seconds with her, for her to ackowledge my existance!

That was in the late 1960s. I will never forget that evening!

[MikeJanis]

Hello Mark, I'm happy that you found this group. Considering your extensive experience with Objectivism, and your goals of its practical use, I'm sure I'll be able to learn a lot from your posts!