"I never learned from a man who agreed with me." ~ Robert Heinlein
I recently read a biography of Ayn Rand who I consider an inspiration for many of my ideas and I was very disturbed by the cultist nature of her life in the later years when she would break up friendships over the slightest disagreement about politics, philosophy even art. For me I have always, as Heinlein said, learned a great deal from those who disagree with me. Respectful discourse of disagreements is not only more educational but, I think, more fun that discussion with someone who agrees completely with you.
Showing posts with label Ayn Rand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ayn Rand. Show all posts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Art and Zero Sum
Today's quote comes from Ayn Rand
One of the biggest misunderstanding about economics is that it's a zero sum game; in other words for every millionaire there has to be hundreds of poor people that he got his money from. This is not true because wealth can be created and just like creative pursuits like painting or film making someone can create something that can be enjoyed by others without them losing. It's not like if I make a movie there's someone out there that doesn't get a movie made as a direct result. The millionaire creates capital and employs hundreds of people.
My favorite example of this is John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil. History has cast Rockefeller as the villain for being greedy but he actually did more to help the poor and working classes than any philanthropist ever did. Before Standard Oil lighting was provided by candles or whale oil which was very expensive and unfordable to most. Most American's would get up with the sun go to work stop work when the sun was going down go home eat a quick dinner by candle light and go to bed because they couldn't afford light. However with Standard Oil it became affordable to light your house, you could stay up after dinner, you could spend time with your family, you could read the newspaper and books to educate yourself. Rockefeller made this possible not by beating anyone but by achieving greatness in business.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The World is Yours
Tonight's quote is one posted by Shaun on Facebook and is from Ayn Rand's book Atlas Shrugged.
"Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours."
I think this quote is meaningful both on the individual and national level. Anything is possible either in careers or in changing our government.
"Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours."
I think this quote is meaningful both on the individual and national level. Anything is possible either in careers or in changing our government.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Privacy and Civilization
My quote today comes from my favorite philosopher Ayn Rand.
"Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men."
Our country was founded on the idea that man is responsible for his choices, that the government is there to protect a man's life, liberty and property. The government is responsible for making creating an environment where everyone can have those three things.
Man then is responsible for everything else, he is responsible for making his life worthwhile that is not the governments job, they should not provide health care or keep him from hurting himself through use of drugs. Man is responsible for his actions.
He is responsible for making good use of his liberty, he can say what he will, do what he wants, the government should not make sure he is saying the right things or that if he says them on the airwaves that the other side is equally represented. Each man is responsible for what he says and does.
He is responsible and has sole ownership of any property he acquires, government should not ensure that he has of property by taking from one and giving to another they are there just to protect whatever property he owns. If, like is happening now, the government uses tax money to buy banks or bailout the car industry then they are not protecting property they are stealing it and that is legal plunder.
Our society was founded on the idea that each man had privacy and with that privacy came responsibility. Today we are regressing because people no longer have personal responsibility, it is said that it is the responsibility of the rich to provide for those behind them and to give them the same opportunity they had to own property. The government by doing this is intervening in our lives and taking away our privacy, if we want to have a better society we will increase the amount of privacy and return to a time when a person is responsible only for themselves.
"Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men."
Our country was founded on the idea that man is responsible for his choices, that the government is there to protect a man's life, liberty and property. The government is responsible for making creating an environment where everyone can have those three things.
Man then is responsible for everything else, he is responsible for making his life worthwhile that is not the governments job, they should not provide health care or keep him from hurting himself through use of drugs. Man is responsible for his actions.
He is responsible for making good use of his liberty, he can say what he will, do what he wants, the government should not make sure he is saying the right things or that if he says them on the airwaves that the other side is equally represented. Each man is responsible for what he says and does.
He is responsible and has sole ownership of any property he acquires, government should not ensure that he has of property by taking from one and giving to another they are there just to protect whatever property he owns. If, like is happening now, the government uses tax money to buy banks or bailout the car industry then they are not protecting property they are stealing it and that is legal plunder.
Our society was founded on the idea that each man had privacy and with that privacy came responsibility. Today we are regressing because people no longer have personal responsibility, it is said that it is the responsibility of the rich to provide for those behind them and to give them the same opportunity they had to own property. The government by doing this is intervening in our lives and taking away our privacy, if we want to have a better society we will increase the amount of privacy and return to a time when a person is responsible only for themselves.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Art and Reality
My quote today comes again from Ayn Rand.
"Art is a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value-judgments. An artist recreates those aspects of reality which represent his fundamental view of man's nature."
Ayn Rand in her book the Romantic Manifesto says that any art is infused with the world view of the creator and that the viewer can not help but come away with a message.
In the industry I work in, the Christian film industry, we are always striving to present our view of reality in a way that represents our worldview. To this end we try and present a view of man that upholds values and ideals we think are important.
At the same time to represent reality and make it believable we need to show man's true nature and that is that he is fallen. So our characters need to have flaws and struggle with problems just like we all do but hopefully in our films our characters can overcome those struggles. Too often in post-modernism and nihilistic films we see characters who represent nothing but the hopelessness of mankind or films that do nothing but showcase man's inhumanity. We need more films that show flawed characters who gain eventual redemption and overcome their struggles.
"Art is a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value-judgments. An artist recreates those aspects of reality which represent his fundamental view of man's nature."
Ayn Rand in her book the Romantic Manifesto says that any art is infused with the world view of the creator and that the viewer can not help but come away with a message.
In the industry I work in, the Christian film industry, we are always striving to present our view of reality in a way that represents our worldview. To this end we try and present a view of man that upholds values and ideals we think are important.
At the same time to represent reality and make it believable we need to show man's true nature and that is that he is fallen. So our characters need to have flaws and struggle with problems just like we all do but hopefully in our films our characters can overcome those struggles. Too often in post-modernism and nihilistic films we see characters who represent nothing but the hopelessness of mankind or films that do nothing but showcase man's inhumanity. We need more films that show flawed characters who gain eventual redemption and overcome their struggles.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
First Post
I've decided to start a new blog; the purpose of this blog will be to every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday post a new quote that I find, write a bit about what I think and then, hopefully, hear what you all think about the quote. Our first quote today is from one of my favorite philosophers; Ayn Rand. The founder of Objectivism Ayn Rand first started writing during the 1950's eventually writing one of the most influential books today; Atlas Shrugged.
"The hidebound traditionalist and the modern college activist are two sides of the same psych-epistemological coin. The first seeks to escape the terror of an unknowable future by seeking safety in the alleged wisdom of the past. ("What was good for my father, it's good enough for me!") The second seeks to escape the terror of an unintelligible past by screaming his way into an indefinable future. ("If it's not good for my father, it's good enough for me!) And, paradoxically enough, neither of them is able to live in the present."
I think this quote could work just as well if you substituted Conservative for hidebound traditionalist and Liberal for modern college activist.
Conservatives often talk about returning to the past and how great it was and often pass over some of the darker things from the past. They blame anything bad in the present on Liberals and activist who don't hold to "traditional" values.
Meanwhile Liberals can not stand the present because Conservatives are holding everyone back in their antiquated views of the world. Anything bad in the present is blamed on Conservatives who if they would just get out of the way we could all go into the future much more "enlightened".
The truth of the matter is that blindly following past tradition or charging into a indeterminate future doesn't work; we need to live in the present and engage in honest discussion of the big questions like why we do what we do, or what is the purpose of what we do? The gone past and the uncertain future are not the places to look for them and if we keep trying to live in the past or rush to the future we will not have the discussion of what for and why?
"The hidebound traditionalist and the modern college activist are two sides of the same psych-epistemological coin. The first seeks to escape the terror of an unknowable future by seeking safety in the alleged wisdom of the past. ("What was good for my father, it's good enough for me!") The second seeks to escape the terror of an unintelligible past by screaming his way into an indefinable future. ("If it's not good for my father, it's good enough for me!) And, paradoxically enough, neither of them is able to live in the present."
I think this quote could work just as well if you substituted Conservative for hidebound traditionalist and Liberal for modern college activist.
Conservatives often talk about returning to the past and how great it was and often pass over some of the darker things from the past. They blame anything bad in the present on Liberals and activist who don't hold to "traditional" values.
Meanwhile Liberals can not stand the present because Conservatives are holding everyone back in their antiquated views of the world. Anything bad in the present is blamed on Conservatives who if they would just get out of the way we could all go into the future much more "enlightened".
The truth of the matter is that blindly following past tradition or charging into a indeterminate future doesn't work; we need to live in the present and engage in honest discussion of the big questions like why we do what we do, or what is the purpose of what we do? The gone past and the uncertain future are not the places to look for them and if we keep trying to live in the past or rush to the future we will not have the discussion of what for and why?
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