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As of right now, I am currently reading chapter 9 of The Romantic Manifesto. Ayn Rand is discussing the development of morality in children, and how society is making them look at morality as a negative, painful thing. These kids will grow up with a subconciously negative, cynicle view of the world, with a broken spirit. The optimistic thing to ask is, "Can these people be saved?" I love stories of redemption and rescue, and I consider myself saved in a way by Ayn Rand. But her writing seems so dark and hopeless for the victims of the altruist and collectivist monsters that plague our world. I know these people must choose to be saved, but will their upbringing as a child forever linger in their subconscious? |
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Can someone rekindle their own broken spirit? Yes. Can someone rekindle the broken spirit of another? No. |
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To amplify a little on Humbug's succinct answer, it's not entirely clear from the question whether Collin is talking about himself or about others. The main text of the question states: The optimistic thing to ask is, "Can these people be saved?" Saved by whom? As RM explains in Chapter 9 ("Art and Moral Treason"), there has to be at least a basic "inner spark" from the victim himself in order for him to be able to save himself. Others cannot do that for him, as the questioner acknowledges: "I know these people must choose to be saved...." It sounds like the questioner is one victim who has a spark -- "in a way," as he mentions, through his love of "stories of redemption and rescue" and the fact that he is reading at least some of Ayn Rand's works. Ayn Rand herself wrote: ...whatever their future, at the dawn of their lives, men seek a noble vision of man's nature and of life's potential. (From Ayn Rand's Introduction to the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Fountainhead.) This is what I want to also talk about. I want to be one of those few great people, and I know some people who have that "type-A" personality, and they will be something important. It's just that I have always been told I can't do what they do. I feel like no matter how much I try, or how hard I work, my accomplishments are still going to pale in comparison to their accomplishments. Those few people I know are always getting the praise and attention I always wanted. They earned it, yes, and I am basing myself on a different standard. But I guess that's where I disagree with Ayn Rand. I think it does matter how much one achieves. If you're hiring someone right out of college, who do you think is more qualified? The person who actively engages in several clubs on campus and does well, or a student who got Bs and never participated in clubs. As a person who is hiring, you're not going to ask about their life story, why they don't join clubs. You're only looking at their qualifications. And that's what I also don't like. As a person with quite of few quirks, I'm not good in social circles, and I've never had many friends, and that's why I never joined clubs. There is always a reason for something, and most of the time, strangers don't want to hear it. Do I have a "type-A" personality? No. But sometimes I can be really "on the ball" in certain fields. I took a creative writing class at my college, and I got an A+. You have two choices:
Choice #1 set you free. Choice #2 makes you a slave to other people. Your life. Your choice. I'm not saying I'm choosing choice #2. I'm saying that there is a general standard by which we all judge each other, which is money, unfortunately. People tend to hold more respect for those who are a lawyer or doctor, as opposed to a janitor. Also, no matter how hard or how well that janitor does his job, he's still getting paid minimum wage. He won't see the same money as quickly as the doctor or lawyer, if at all. The janitor is not a great person, and he never will be. He's not what Ayn Rand would call an "Atlas." He cleans the building for him. We should judge others by their character. I tend to have an automatic cynical assumption with everything, and I want to change that. I look at college as a place which destroys the mind and indoctrinates people with outright lies. I look at capitalism as a great thing, but I see myself unable to benefit from it because I hold too high a standard for myself. If it's always possible to do what I want, why am I always told--violently--that I'm never going to make millions, and I'm never going to buy an Aston Martin? Am I a victim? Yes. Should I continue complaining about it? Absolutely not. I'm using this site as a means of refocusing myself onto the right track. With the advice of OA and a very important friend of mine, I increased my availability at my job to make more money over the summer, I've bumped up my grades a bit in school, and I've finally chosen a major at a four-year college. I'm transferring over in the fall. I have every reason to be much happier with myself now than I was last year, but I don't and I don't know why. You can't fully "grasp and achieve the full reality of man's proper stature" if you are ultimately seeking the approval of others (whether through money or otherwise). You must do, produce and achieve things because they are what you want, what you value. Others may or may not eventually recognize the same values as you; don't let that influence your choices one whit.
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