What would have happened to Peter Keating had he been an egoist like Howard Roark?

Lets suppose Peter keating was to become a ojectivst..would he have achieved any kind of success?? What am trying to say is not everyone is born great...or may be they didn't realize there skills till they were 30 or so..So what should they do?? They cannot think of original idea's ..they have to copy someone idea...One can become egoist only if he is very talent..how can normal guy live his life...I feel myself to be very similar to peter..though I wnat to get out of that jail..but I don't know what to do ??

egoism fountainhead

asked Jul 07 '12 at 08:15

peterkeating
50●2

edited Jul 07 '12 at 11:02

Greg Perkins ♦♦
1002127●2●17

One Answer:

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Keating and Roark were fictional characters in a book written to concretize and illustrate different types of outcomes rooted in different types of thinking. While not everyone is born great, or do not discover their skills till later in life, we are all responsible for our own thinking, and can each, to the degree of our individual abilities, develop the skills necessary to be able to examine our own ideas and scrutinize them to determine if they are true or not.

Peter Keating was an example of one who did not do this.

Howard Roark was an example of one who did do this.

In this sense, to "get out of that jail", is simply a matter to choose to learn how to check your own ideas, and actively do so to the best of your own ability. While this is not a recipe for greatness, it does have its own rewards.

answered Jul 07 '12 at 11:06

dream_weaver ♦
593●9

edited Jul 07 '12 at 12:37

Yes.

I'd like to add that egoism is not just for geniuses.

Whatever your background, and whatever your endowment, being egoistic and self-motivated will generally bring you better results than parroting others.

In Atlas Shrugged, there is a character named Eddie Willers, who, while not being a brilliant man, is morally exemplary. He has a rewarding career as an executive assistant. If he weren't so moral, then he'd probably be a worthless drunk.

(Jul 08 '12 at 12:20) John Paquette ♦

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Asked: Jul 07 '12 at 08:15

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Last updated: Jul 08 '12 at 12:20

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