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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 5th, 2023

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  • I think one of the things at play with Rand is that there are a handful of tiresome dirtbags who wave her work around like a bible. Doing so is pretty silly, and I understand why that provokes strong adversarial reactions. But to associate a reader of a text with a zealot of that text, is incorrect, I agree.

    She’s not philosophically rigorous, it’s pretty plain to see. But neither is Nietzsche, and he can be a fun read if you’re in the mood for that kind of thing. I’m not putting them on the same plane as thinkers. I’m just saying it’s not a sin to read an unserious text with an open mind.

    I think the most controversial aspect of her work is the notion of embracing selfishness. A taboo thing to speak aloud, in her times, and now. But, who can honestly claim they are purified of selfishness? So I can’t help but wonder if the theatrical outpouring of hatred for Rand is a way for people to disavow their own selfishness and comfort themselves with well worn axioms about the primacy of community. And avoid the difficult conversation of our relationship to selfishness and what it actually means.

    Feed me downvotes.

    Anyway, thanks for bringing it up OP. Cheers.