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snot

(11,412 posts)

46. There still are powerful people who embrace her philosophy.

Mon Dec 15, 2025, 05:41 PM

Yesterday

I went through a phase myself many years ago, but gave it up when I realized I was alienating all my friends and becoming an a**hole.

But the biggest realization I took from the experience was that the best way to test the merit of a philosophy was to "try it on" and see for yourself what actually works and what doesn't.

Maybe Rand's philosophy works for sociopaths who only hang out with other sociopaths, but it didn't work for me.

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Oh shit, I just came across evidence of my youthful stupidity. [View all] NNadir Sunday OP

It's okay! We all have something that we fell for, or had pushed at us. Maru Kitteh Sunday #1

In our defense UpInArms Sunday #2

For those either not familiar with Atlas Shrugged, or it's 'been a while', I offer an abridged version. Abolishinist Sunday #3

Oh man! I saw this here once before and regretted not knowing the source. Do you know it? NNadir Sunday #4

I've posted it here before, Abolishinist Sunday #14

You are brilliant. mr715 Sunday #8

I wish I could give the author proper credit, but I copied this Abolishinist Sunday #16

I was confused and disturbed by Atlas Shrugged when I was young. dgauss Sunday #26

It's as I remembered "Atlas Shrugged". Hugin Yesterday #44

So, your Organic Chemistry book... ret5hd Sunday #5

I'm happy to say, that to my knowledge, there is only one Ayn Rand book on these old shelves. NNadir Sunday #7

I have a lot of Ayn Rand... mr715 Sunday #6

That's rich: "Philosophical Biohazard." Mind if I steal it if I ever find myself discussing Ayn Rand again? NNadir Sunday #9

Please share. mr715 Sunday #12

On 'Atlas Shrugged' RetiredParatrooper Sunday #34

Dorothy Parker on 'Atlas Shrugged' RetiredParatrooper Sunday #35

I hope that you got rid of it TexasTowelie Sunday #10

Well, I don't know. Maybe I should keep it around to remind myself that I can be stupid. NNadir Sunday #11

Nah- sometimes burning a book actually can be recommended biophile Sunday #15

Morrison and Boyd's Organic Chemistry was the one I used. harumph Sunday #13

I gave a copy, an earlier edition to a guy who worked for me. I actually have several... NNadir Sunday #19

Nature of the Chemical Bond by Linus Pauling harumph Yesterday #36

I'm starting the annual book shelves cleaning this week malaise Sunday #17

One's political philosophy should result from intellectual inquiry, not blind faith. snot Sunday #18

I rather like your perspective, more generous to me than I am to myself. In fact... NNadir Sunday #23

There still are powerful people who embrace her philosophy. snot Yesterday #46

It sounds like you grew out of it in high school. mjvpi Sunday #20

I too read Ayn Rand's books as a youth and admired them. Morbius Sunday #21

It's as if she took communism Turbineguy Sunday #24

I still have her books - I read them as a teen jfz9580m Yesterday #37

I recall very well being offended by that billboard remark. NNadir Yesterday #41

My take was that the right picked up Rand as a reaction to all of the era of socialist writers that preceded her. Hugin Yesterday #45

Oh, gawd - Morrison and Boyd! The stuff of my nightmares. 3catwoman3 Sunday #22

I think organic chemistry is generally taught badly, probably for historical reasons. NNadir Sunday #28

The 3 things I remember from that long ago course are... 3catwoman3 Sunday #32

Not to butt in jfz9580m Yesterday #43

The story of Kekule's "dream," has inspired a lot of psychological speculations on scientific creativity. NNadir Yesterday #47

Organic chem wherein, my cousin told me EverHopeful Sunday #33

A long-lost ending of 'Atlas Shrugged' RetiredParatrooper Sunday #25

Wow! Someone got to the end without falling asleep. Impressive. (Pretty funny ersatz ending, I think.) NNadir Sunday #31

I have retained a number of stupid things from my stupid youth. One *not* stupid thing that I kept Ocelot II Sunday #27

I feel your pain. I really do. I suspect most of us do. NNadir Sunday #30

i'll admit to a youthful flirtation with ayn rand rampartd Sunday #29

God yeah jfz9580m Yesterday #38

It's Eleanor Roosevelt, who I consider the greatest Democrat of the 20th century. NNadir Yesterday #40

I really should read more about her jfz9580m Yesterday #42

Everyone should have read them when a teen HAB911 Yesterday #39

I read both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged... Chemical Bill Yesterday #48

And I read Morrison and Boyd in college. Chemical Bill Yesterday #49