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How Do You Show Your Objectivist Flair?

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In the movie "Office Space" there is a comment about the 'flair' restaurants require workers to show (ie tacky pins on their apron.) Well, I was just curious as to how everyone displays their Objectivist 'flair'. Do you have Ayn Rand inspired bumper stickers? A 'Who is John Galt?' t-shirt? Tattoos? Pins? Coffee mugs?

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All I have is my "Enjoy Capitalism" mug. But I like it and it makes some of my friends who come over shake their heads. So it's fine B)

This is just pro-capitalism, though. I have nothing, however, that would really qualify me as an Objectivist.

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At one point I had a magnetic bumper sticker on my truck that said "Why Yes, It Is Made Of Rearden Metal". I also have a framed quotation ("These two -- Reason and Freedom -- are corollaries, and their relationship is reciprocal: when men are rational, freedom wins; when men are free, reason wins.") in my cubicle at work. Oh, and two t-shirts from Objectivist conferences of years past.

Over the past week or so I've been reading Tara Smith's Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics on the exercise bike at the gym, but it has yet to provoke comment.

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I have a "Who is John Galt" bumpersticker. I wish I had a wittier response to people asking me who he is though.
Yeah, I have the same problem. I have a "Who is John Galt" t-shirt and people ask me that whenever I wear it, and I never have a witty response. I usually just say "Read Atlas Shrugged". But I've never had anybody who knew who he is ask me.
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I have a "Who is John Galt" bumpersticker. I wish I had a wittier response to people asking me who he is though.

I have a 'Who is John Galt?' tattoo. When the tattoo artist was doing it he asked, "Who's this John guy? He your boyfriend?" I just smiled and said, "kind of." =)

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Over the past week or so I've been reading Tara Smith's Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics on the exercise bike at the gym, but it has yet to provoke comment.

Tara Smith and an excercise bike at the same time? That's some intense workout!

I have a "Who is John Galt" bumpersticker. I wish I had a wittier response to people asking me who he is though.

You could try an answer from the book to peak their curiosity even more. The obvious would be, "He's the man who said he'd stop the motor of the world, and did." But a funnier one might be, "Don't ask questions nobody can answer." :lol:

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I have a 'Who is John Galt?' tattoo. When the tattoo artist was doing it he asked, "Who's this John guy? He your boyfriend?" I just smiled and said, "kind of." =)

WOW...now THAT is commitment hahah.

I have started to use more "Objectivist-speak" around people that I have no idea whether they have read any of Rand's work. Kinda a way to see if anyone perks up...see if a connection is made.

(I would have never connected with my husband if a reference to HitchHiker's Guide was not made 8 years ago, so I figure it doesn't hurt to try with my new found Objectivist vocab to seek out other people in the general public that may share my love for Rand's work.)

This was something that started unknowingly. Having 5 kids, we don't get out a whole lot, and for a while, our social life seemed to be mostly the local Objectivist Meetups we were attending. Then, all of a sudden, we were going to other social functions, or meeting other friends that had nothing to do with the Meetup. One thing I learned is that Objectivist truly are individualists, and no matter how much they value and love Rand's work, they are not going to shove it down your throat like some bible thumper. So, if you meet one at a party unknownly and get to talking, perhaps it can come up naturally just by having a good conversation.

Actually, I have been using a much better vocab in conversations the past several months. This isn't really "flair" but a definite improvement that I will attribute to my study of the philosophy. Let's just hope two years from now I can look at my old posts and say, "oh my, thank goodness I write better now!" hahah.

I have several tshirt and bumper sticker ideas I am working on right now for my cafe press shop as well. Once I work out the kinks to make sure I am not violating copyright, etc., I am going to order some. I hope my 15 year old will help me design one or two that he will like enough to wear to school.

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I have started to use more "Objectivist-speak" around people ... ... to see if anyone perks up...
That's funny. Makes sense though -- kinda like a Masonic handshake? :D

Co-worker: I saw a file here yesterday, and nobody has been here, yet it's gone now. Could you help me search for it, please?

Me: Sure, gotta trust the evidence of one's senses. It must be here someplace.

Co-worker: I'm absolutely sure it was here, and I'm absolutely sure this room was locked.

Me: Well, contradictions don't exist, so let's examine the first premise by searching your room.

Co-worker: Unless it just disappeared, somehow.

Me: (smiling) No reason to think that could happen. That would be arbitrary. Ah! there it is, it fell behind the desk.

Co-worker: Thanks!

Me: (leaving) You're welcome.

Co-worker: Er... one more thing....

Me: (turning back)... ?

Co-worker: Why're you talking funny?

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Co-worker: I saw a file here yesterday, and nobody has been here, yet it's gone now. Could you help me search for it, please?

Me: Sure, gotta trust the evidence of one's senses. It must be here someplace.

Co-worker: I'm absolutely sure it was here, and I'm absolutely sure this room was locked.

Me: Well, contradictions don't exist, so let's examine the first premise by searching your room.

Co-worker: Unless it just disappeared, somehow.

Me: (smiling) No reason to think that could happen. That would be arbitrary. Ah! there it is, it fell behind the desk.

Co-worker: Thanks!

Me: (leaving) You're welcome.

Co-worker: Er... one more thing....

Me: (turning back)... ?

Co-worker: Why're you talking funny?

:D Very good!

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I have a "who is john galt" bumper sticker and t-shirt. My reply whenever someone asks the obvious is "I don't know...that's what I am trying to find out." If they seem interesting at all, give them your phone number and ask them to call you and let you know if they find out. Might be good for pick-ups too...at the very least it helps you weed out the ones with no intellectual curiosity.

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I once complained to my boss (in all seriousness, too) that my coworkers have a concrete-bound mentality. She didn't get it, so I had to explain.

I use the word "psycho-epistemology" at work every now and then. My co-workers mostly seem to think I just have an overly-large vocabulary. (I remember once using the word "irredentism" in a discussion. There was a pause, and somebody asked "what does that mean?". I said "It's a form of revanchism." There was a longer pause, and I realized that probably wasn't as clarifying as I'd hoped it would be. :P )

At this point I think that any of my co-workers who care are at least broadly aware of my philosophical and political leanings. Rather than hammer directly on ideas, I 'evangalize' by being very good at my job and then connecting that success back to its intellectual foundation. Show, don't tell.

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I have a personalized plate here in Nevada:

"A IZ A"

and my car wears the "capitalist inside" ala Intel Logo in gold on my bumper.

Though my car is a horrible blue and is a '93 buick skylark, I still think i've "pimped" it pretty well. ha ha ha

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  • 3 weeks later...

hmm interesting thread.

1. Most of my internet sigs have "Who is John Galt?" embedded in them.

2. Checks say the same on them.

3. No car paraphenalia although it's an interesting concept.

4. I have a firebird tattoo'ed on my ankle, from the period where I finally decided I had studied Objectivism enough to call myself one.

5. I collect fountain pens. A while back I had one custom made in Japan with the kanji for "capitalist" inscribed on the barrel. Of course, most people dont' know what it means.

Nakaya3.jpg

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資本主義者 「しほんしゅぎしゃ」

shihonshugisha

資 - 'capital'

本 - prob. in context 'real' or 'true'

主 - 'master'

義 - prob. in context 'loyalty' or 'honor'

者 - 'person'

(At least, according to my limited Japanese language skills and references.)

A most positive characterization indeed.

-Q

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I recently purhased an "Enjoy Capitalism" t-shirt from Felix's JohnGaltGifts.com, which I've worn a few times already.

Our office dress is very casual, and several people noted that they liked it a lot. A colleague - who is a Mormon Republican - asked me where I got it; I told him I'd let him know if he disavowed his allegiance to the Republican Party. He looked at me quite confused, but didn't pursue it further; I suspect he'll ask one of these days when I wear it again. :)

In the meantime, I enjoy using the ball-point pens with the same "Enjoy Capitalism" logo.

Thanks, Felix!

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Howdy All,

The only thing remotely resembling Objectivist flair, which I possess is hanging on the wall where I have to see it every day when I leave my bedroom.

It’s creation comes from a feeble attempt at making bumper stickers on my own. I guess one could think of it as a sort of prototype. I did it using MS-Paint, and didn’t have any sticker paper for my printer at the time, so I used paper.

Originally it was black with gold lettering, as homage to the Army Rangers. That was a few years ago. It is more like black/purple, with yellow/grey lettering today. However the quote though too verbose for a bumper sticker, will always inspire me.

It reads:

My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.

As far as my daily life goes, I like to think of myself as the street preacher for Objectivist ideas, and no matter how many times I recommend Rand’s work, I will never claim to be an Objectivist.

When ever I find someone that I think might actually benefit from, and understand “Atlas Shrugged.”, I will recommend it too them and, depending on the person I will allow them too borrow my copy.

Furthermore, despite the company, republichristian, or dipshitocrat; I will try to be polite when I point out the irrationality of someone’s views. In fact I use the same argument to the fascists, as I do to commies. “Yeah, Yeah, America is f**ked up. The reason is one of fundamental philosophy.”

Then if anyone asks me to explain I do.

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I have a Danneskjold Reposessions shirt from JohnGaltGifts. To those who mentioned the witty response to "Who is John Galt" when sporting "flair". On a music forum i'm on, my avatar says who is john galt and my friend asked me, "Who is John Galt?", I replied "I don't like that phrase". hahahah

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