Sometimes I despair ...

[robinturner]

... of humanity, or at least of literature.

I am a high school student. This is the most inspiring work I have ever read, and it has encouraged me to turn my life around.

The book? No, not the Bible, the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita, the Tao Te Ching or any other sacred text. Not Epictetus' Enchiridion, Socrates' Apologia or Boethius' Consolations of Philosophy. Not King Lear, Jude the Obscure or Nostromo. Not even Everything I Ever Needed To Know, I Learnt From Star Trek.

You've probably guessed: an Ayn Rand novel.

If one day, I ever get my philosophy sorted out, I shall write a novel. I will populate it with heroic characters who express my views at length, and despicable characters who represent moral and political systems I don't like. I will include gratuitious sex. And I will make it very, very long, so that those who make it to the end will feel a great sense of achievement. It will be the death of my academic career, but it will make me an icon, and I will probably receive offers of money and sexual favours.

Comments

[subbes]

God, I hate Ayn Rand.

[chr0me-kitten.livejournal.com]

I adore your anti-Rand posts. She's so easy to hate dislike, but you just say it in the best way :-)

Re:

[solri.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Having an easy target helps somewhat.

Since I have to teach On the Genealogy of Morality this semester, expect some anti-Nietzsche posts later on.

[harpersromo.livejournal.com]

Funniest post ever! Thanks, solri.

[ironed_orchid]

You could always use a pseudonym.

[chippiex.livejournal.com]

I've never read Ayn Rand because my most conservative, racist friend recommended it. We don't hang out anymore.

Re:

[solri.livejournal.com]

Normally I'd say that was some kind of ad hominem argument, but in this particular case, you have a point!

Stop me if I've told you this one before...

[oblomova.livejournal.com]

When I worked at a bookstore during the Greed is Good late 80s (to distinguish it from the Greed is Compassionate era in which we now live), a tightly drawn yuppie wench came in one day, waving her hand imperiously at me. "I'm looking for something inspirational and uplifting. Kind of like Ayn Rand. Only NOT Ayn Rand. Do you know what I mean?"

I smothered a laugh and said "Um, I haven't read that much Rand, so maybe you could give me some more ideas what you're interested in?"

She looked at me and then snapped "What's the matter, honey? Don't you read?"

If any Rand-o-philes get up your nose, direct them to the film version of The Fountainhead. If they agree (as do most rational and sane people) that it's a piece o' shit on celluloid, ask them why Lil Ms. Sell-Out Hypocritical Ho Stank (I know you love that phrase!) didn't blow up Warner Bros. rather than let that trash tarnish the holy genius of her work.

Uh, meaning, I think Rand is a talentless hack cocksucking fraud.

Re: Stop me if I've told you this one before...

[solri.livejournal.com]

And the frightening thing is that Alan Greenspan, who has more control over the world economy than almost any individual, was one of her disciples.

"Greed is Compassionate" - I like that!