GarinStone Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 I'm from Fullerton California and I go to college there (History and Philsophy major going to transfer to USC). I live by myself except for my guitar. I'm also only 16. How did I find objectivism? I have always held the same values, but i accepted guilt for them(just as hank rearden did). Throughout school and work I felt that I could carry anyone, and that the most undeserving were easiest to carry because they complained the least. The thing that changed me in Atlas Shrugged was Hank because he represented me in so many ways. My beliefs before that - I was a libertarian atheist(since i was 12 and decided to ask why i believed in god or government). I never made the same connection as Rearden about being the guiltiest man though. Now I understand why it always made me happy to achieve. I thought happiness came from sacrifice but I never recognized the contradiction. I looked at things out of context far too often but i've corrected that. My favorite Rand quote is : "What is the nature of the guilt that your teachers call his Original Sin? What are the evils man acquired when he fell from a state they consider perfection? Their myth declares that he ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge - he acquired a mind and became a rational being. It was the knowledge of good and evil - he became a moral being. He was sentenced to earn his bread by his labor - he became a productive being. He was sentenced to experience desire - he acquired the capacity of sexual enjoyment. The evils for which they damn him are reason, morality, creativeness, joy - all the cardinal values of his existence. It is not his vices that their myth of man's fall is designed to explain and condemn, it is not his errors that they hold as his guilt, but the essence of his nature as man" So thats me. Nice to meet you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liriodendron Tulipifera Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Cool. I actually suffered from this guilt complex for awhile, especially growing up. And then I thought, "Why I am I making excuses for others when I wouldn't make those excuses for myself?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovenstein Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 16 and going to college? Congratulations! And welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RationalBiker Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Welcome to the forum. I play guitar also. What kind of guitar do you have, and what kind of music do you like to play? I have a couple Martin acoustic guitars. One is a mahogany dreadnought, while the other, my favorite, is a 000 sized acoustic-electric. I have a Mexi-Strat as well, but I enjoy acoustic more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus98876 Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Well, its good to see that you have become a better person after all of those realisations you have made. I once had some similar sorts of beleifs that I analysed and cast aside, such as the beleif that I should be willing to use my talent to help any whom ask it of me. But thats silly, I should only help those whom deserve my help, not anyone whom makes a false claim of need . Anyway, welcome to the forums, I hope you enjoy your time here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMeganSnow Posted November 2, 2005 Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Nice to meet you, Garin, but please do be careful about your capitalization, especially of "Objectivism" which is a proper noun when used to refer to Ayn Rand's philosophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gags Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Hello Garin, nice to have you here. What is your prefered period of study for your history major? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarinStone Posted November 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Hello Garin, nice to have you here. What is your prefered period of study for your history major? The American Revolution of course. I'm going to be a laywer or else I'd be getting a doctorate in history and my dissertation would pertain to something having to do with Thomas Jefferson. Not quite sure because I doubt its going to happen. I will take care to capitalize Objectivism to clarify things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold Standard Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Great quote. It was about half an hour after I read that paragraph (and the ones near it) for the first time in Galt's speech that I realized I was an atheist. How liberating! Thanks for reminding me of that night. My favorite Rand quote is : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mailegreene Posted November 4, 2005 Report Share Posted November 4, 2005 Hello Garin. Fullerton is about....(1 sec, I'm going to mapquest).....33.25 miles from where I live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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