Hello, Sorry I Am Late.

[zepho]

Greetings to all! Dustin is the name, producing is the game. I'm what society calls a workaholic. If ambition had an image in the dictionary it would include my picture. Anyway, how did I get here? Quite simple actually, I'm looking for people like me and this is where my logic has landed me. A while back my grandfather, a practicing Objectivist, turned me on to Atlas Shrugged. Upon reading the book, I felt like someone was reading my thoughts out loud, but with uncanny precision and accuracy. It changed my life. Suddenly all the things I knew I hated but never linked together had been discovered to be based on a single principle, Altruism. Suddenly, in that single moment everything changed. Now like Orwell’s 1984 gone horribly wrong, I pick up on Altruism's "subliminal" messages everywhere, and it is driving me insane (not literally). The logical ends of this horrible principle are clear and now strange as it seems the world has become somewhat predictable. Hope that doesn't sound crazy, it wasn't meant that way. What I mean is now the outcome of daily events make incredible sense and don't surprise me as often. My feelings are now predictable and controllable-- and this is a great thing. I now understand why I love to think and work, and I see the flaws of all those that don't.

Now that I've got that off my chest, lets move on. I'm a software developer, one of the best I might add , and am slowly working myself up the industrial ladder. I'm in the process of creating my own business (we approach investors in July) and I also work closely with a, soon to be huge, small business. Things are going great and I'm so happy of all I've been able to create so far. However there is one thing lacking in my life-- people. Where are they? Why haven't we risen up and claimed what is ours yet? What are the problems that need to be solved? How can I help? I'm surrounded by "friends" who I don't understand and whom can't understand me. To be honest, I'm lonely, while surrounded by people (as strange as that sounds).

I've been thinking about these things a lot lately. I've finally figured out my purpose and it includes finishing what the US founding fathers started. My first step is to build my companies up to enormous wealth. Upon gaining those values, I plan on working close together with ARI to help accomplish their goals. I've studied their vision and it looks fairly accurate, however I do have a few suggestions. I'm also very interested in OAC, because I think it is crucial in being successful in my first step. I need to be able to avoid the mistakes of other companies and defend my rights, instead of appeasement.

Anyway to make a long story short, I'm here, sorry I'm late. What is the game plan?

PS. Is there any good rock music out there? One of the consequences of being "awakened" is, all the rock artists I used to listen to have been ruined. Same with TV, most movies, and radio in NJ.

PSS. I wrote this under the influence of the "productiveness high" (Had a great day at work yesterday), so I probably sounded scatter brained. The large coffee didn't help either. Haha

Edited May 24, 2005 by zepho

[softwareNerd]

Dustin,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm a software developer too (don't know if my screen-name gives it away ). There are few other software developers here.

I think it's pretty cool to have an Objectivist grandfather.

As for "the battle plan", you seem to be well on your way: be successful.

All the best

[BurgessLau]

[...] I'm a software developer, one of the best I might add , and am slowly working myself up the industrial ladder. [...]

I've finally figured out my purpose and it includes finishing what the US founding fathers started. My first step is to build my companies up to enormous wealth. Upon gaining those values, I plan on working close together with ARI to help accomplish their goals. I've studied their vision and it looks fairly accurate, however I do have a few suggestions. I'm also very interested in OAC, because I think it is crucial in being successful in my first step. I need to be able to avoid the mistakes of other companies and defend my rights, instead of appeasement.

Ayn Rand made a distinction between ultimate purpose in life and central purpose in life. The UPL for all sane people is happiness. One's CPL, which is one's core productive purpose, is one secondary purpose leading to happiness.

I am confused about your central purpose. Is it to produce software or is it to change the world? Apparently it is the former, but you also plan to use some of the profits of your business to help change the world in which you live.

Further, as you seem to be saying, you can prepare yourself philosophically -- a process that can take decades -- to battle for your rights in your own life. I believe that two groups are most effective in changing a culture. Together they make a left and right punch, so to speak. The main punch will come from professional Objectivist intellectuals -- such as professors of philosophy and other disciplines. The other punch will come from philosophically educated individuals pursuing their own selfish professional interests in other fields.

For example, a philosophically trained doctor demanding his rights to practice medicine in his own way will be more effective than someone who is not a doctor merely writing an occasional letter to the editor of a small-town newspaper. To use an analogy from nature, an animal is much more tenacious and ferocious when it is defending its own burrow and young.

In other words, you won't need to look for issues as your own business grows, they will find you. If you are prepared -- philosophically, psychologically, and legally -- you could be both effective and enjoy the battle too.

Edited May 24, 2005 by BurgessLau

[zepho]

Good point, BurgessLau. You are right my UPL is happiness. Perhaps I should attempt to better explain my CPL. My CPL is, as you correctly stated, to create and run a successful software company. However I find that this may at some point in the near future become impossible, considering the current path of the United States. Therefore I find it absolutely crucial to the success of my business that I also work towards reversing the trend into today's society. I think you will find I am right on par with your vision of proper implementation of the required education process. I indeed plan on fighting the philosophical battle within my CPL and I agree the battles will come to me. I also agree that I do need training from a professional Objectivist intellectual, that is why I plan on applying for Ayn Rand Institute's Objectivist Academic Center (OAC) courses and obtaining the highest "degree" it allows. This I plan on doing after or possibly while, depending on the financial situation, I obtain my CIS and MBA-- which I am currently pursuing.

Does this effectively address your points?

Thank you for replying. I think I will enjoy the content here.

Edited May 24, 2005 by zepho

[BurgessLau]

To be honest, I'm lonely, while surrounded by people (as strange as that sounds).

That sounds familiar, not strange. Loneliness is the feeling one has when missing friendship, which is a relationship with "another self," that is, another person who shares a basic outlook in some way.

I seldom feel loneliness now, at age 60. The main reason is that I have friendships that I have built over many years. Building friendships requires some of the same skills you are using in developing software and building a business:

- Define your terms: What is the nature of what you want?

- Set goals.

- Develop a plan for getting from here to there.

- Put the plan into action, step by step, throughout the future.

Finding friendships is, in one respect, akin to dental hygiene. It isn't something you do once in life and then forget about. It is something that requires goal-setting, plus implementing every day.

I have friends. Some of them are Objectivists, but others are not. Friendship does not depend on the explicit philosophy of the individuals involved. Rather it depends on their actual, often implicit philosophy, and perhaps most importantly on their sense of life. (If you aren't familiar with the term "sense of life," you can look it up in The Ayn Rand Lexicon, a crucial tool for the study of Objectivism.)

To develop Objectivist friendships requires making contact with Objectivists and working or otherwise interacting with them over a long period of time. Going to regional and national conferences is one particular approach that can pay off as the years pass. There are other ways.

Edited May 24, 2005 by BurgessLau

[zepho]

Indeed, BurgessLau. Unfortunately most of the people I've met that are my age from New Jersey have severely damaged their sense of life and seem to follow some form of nihilism or pragmatism. I hate being around people who are miserable and are clearly the cause of their own misery. But hey, this forum seems like a great place to start looking.

Anyway I have previously purchased The Ayn Rand Lexicon and I enjoy looking up all the different terms I encounter in life. It is a great encyclopedia of life.

Edited May 24, 2005 by zepho

[JMeganSnow]

Welcome to the forum.

Is Middlesex nice?

[zepho]

Hi JMeganSnow, thanks for the welcome!

Middlesex, NJ isn't that bad I guess. Unfortunately, you can't throw a stone without hitting a progressive around here. Although that might be considered beneficial if you enjoy throwing stones . All jokes aside though, it isn't that bad. Not many people worth talking to, but that is evened out by the close proximity of NYC and the great opportunities to produce. Plus I'm one of those people that can thoroughly enjoy life even while being alone for long periods of time. I just sometimes wish I had someone to have good conversations with.

How is Ohio treating you?

Edited May 24, 2005 by zepho

[realitycheck44]

Hey zepho! What's up? Welcome to the forum. You sound like a very interesting and motivated person. Hope you enjoy this forum. I look forward to seeing your posts.

Do you have any hobbies besides work and philosophy?

Zak

[zepho]

Thanks Zak, I think I will enjoy it here. As far as hobbies, not really, chances are if you were to find me on any given day at any given time, I would be doing one of four things: Working, thinking/reading/writing about philosophy, school, or sleeping (not very often). On some rare occasions you might find me playing paintball or playing with my XBOX, but they are too rare to call hobbies I think.

Edited May 24, 2005 by zepho