Ayn Rand

The reason Ayn Rand is one of my heroes has nothing to do with her personal philosophy, Objectivism. While I agree that an objective reality exists, I do not think this implies that we should selfishly act exclusively in our self-interest. My life has taught me otherwise.

I like Ayn Rand’s novels because she is a good storyteller. She writes thought-provoking books that are still relevant today.

I first read The Fountainhead in high school. It made a definite impression on me. I even used the following quote in my Salutatorian speech.

“Thousands of years ago the first man discovered how to make fire. He was probably burnt at the stake he’d taught his brothers to light, but he left them a gift they had not conceived and he lifted darkness from the face of the Earth.”

Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Individuals can do amazing things, and we should each strive to put our gifts into action.

Here is another quote that I love from The Fountainhead.

“It is not in the nature of man–nor of any living entity–to start out by giving up, by spitting in one’s own face and damning existence; that requires a process of corruption whose rapidity differs from man to man. Some give up at the first touch of pressure; some sell out; some run down by imperceptible degrees and lose their fire, never knowing when or how they lost it. Then all of these vanish in the vast swamp of their elders who tell them persistently that maturity consists of abandoning one’s mind; security, of abandoning one’s values; practicality, of losing self-esteem. Yet a few hold on and move on, knowing that that fire is not to be betrayed, learning how to give it shape, purpose and reality. But whatever their future, at the dawn of their lives, men seek a noble vision of man’s nature and of life’s potential.”

Not long after reading The Fountainhead, I read Atlas Shrugged. It didn’t hit me as hard as The Fountainhead. It seemed like the final courtroom scene went on forever! And I did not find the characters as engaging or believable as those in The Fountainhead.

Nevertheless, I still recommend the novel Atlas Shrugged. I haven’t read her other works.