Ayn Rand

[Uneunsae]

I pretty much disagree with most of her philosophy and find it to be selfish, ego-centric, and putting too much value on "what we can see" and find it severely lacking in humility. That's an extremely condensed version of how I feel.

[Virge]

No...she lacked empathy and she took the government assistance she spent her life advocating against. That is a fact. I think she was a sociopath...based on who she was and what she believed in.

She didn't give a f*ck when other people were dying of cancer or starving. I do dismiss anyone who has no compassion or empathy for other human beings.

I don't think you have to though...go ahead and admire her. I don't have to.

Whatever.. I haven't even been a member here 3 weeks I think already I've seen you end about 8 comments with the phrase,

"I hate/despise __fill in the name__"

What about "I have no empathy for people who have no empathy"....

It's obvious from it that you tend to hate people who have ideas that don't agree with yours. That's the same thing fundamentalists do to gays and I'd like to think we can behave better than them. I know I try to.

And you need to go back and see where you made a mistake. There's nothing in what I wrote that expressed one drop of admiration for HER. All I was doing was trying to insert a bit more truth into the matter than you rook the time to do.

If you need to go ahead and put me on that list of people you hate just because I intend to stand up for the truth. It'll say more about you that it will about me when you do it.

[50Plus]

Wow, all of these negative thoughts are really making me want to read the books I have. Never thought that she could be so fascinating.

[East]

And you need to go back and see where you made a mistake. There's nothing in what I wrote that expressed one drop of admiration for HER. All I was doing was trying to insert a bit more truth into the matter than you rook the time to do.

.

You are right. You said your BF read all of her stuff and likes her and I inferred the rest from that comment. That was a mistake I made.

As for inserting a little more truth into the matter...I disagree. The point of her taking the government assistance she wanted to deny others was very relevant considering she spent her life protesting it.

The OP asked what I thought of her. I told him. I was truthful.

[Genersis]

An interesting person, but personally, my only exposure to Rand has been incredibly negative; which is primarily from people who are trying to promote her and, more often than not, her economic philosophy.

So while I do not know much of her, I can't help but think quite low of her, as much as I hate forming opinions on so little.

[Virge]

You are right. You said your BF read all of her stuff and likes her and I inferred the rest from that comment. That was a mistake I made.

As for inserting a little more truth into the matter...I disagree. The point of her taking the government assistance she wanted to deny others was very relevant considering she spent her life protesting it.

The OP asked what I thought of her. I told him. I was truthful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can probably go thru my comments and see in about 5 of the recent ones I've spoken up about not forming opinions on less than half the half of the two sides of the story. I don't know enough about Ayn Rand to like or dislike her. I don't even take my BF's stamp of approval on her.

I doubt she received as much out of government benefits as she paid in but that means nothing compared that like all US citizens, she was FORCED to pay into the system she despised. What's hypocritical about her getting something back out of the system when she was nearly out of money? Hell, I don't like the system either, I'm forced to pay into it and I'd be reluctant to take one frackin penny of it unless I was hard up and maybe needed money for chemotherapy, morphine or whatever.

Oh... I understand why you can't comprehend this after thinking about it for a second. You're the same guy who was bragging earlier about having an on/off switch on his empathy and compassion for other people.... and if I'm not mistaken that is in itself a sign of several mental disorders.

Here's what wikipedia has to say about her final years and social security.

"Rand underwent surgery for lung cancer in 1974. In 1976, despite her initial objections, allowed Evva Pryor, a social worker from her attorney's office, to enroll her in Social Security and Medicare. During the late 1970s her activities declined, especially after the death of her husband on November 9, 1979. One of her final projects was work on a never-completed television adaptation of Atlas Shrugged. Rand died of heart failure on March 6, 1982, at her home in New York City, and was interred in the Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York.[99] Her funeral was attended by some of her prominent followers, including Alan Greenspan."

[East]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can probably go thru my comments and see in about 5 of the recent ones I've spoken up about not forming opinions on less than half the half of the two sides of the story. I don't know enough about Ayn Rand to like or dislike her. I don't even take my BF's stamp of approval on her.

I doubt she received as much out of government benefits as she paid in but that means nothing compared that like all US citizens, she was FORCED to pay into the system she despised. What's hypocritical about her getting something back out of the system when she was nearly out of money? Hell, I don't like the system either, I'm forced to pay into it and I'd be reluctant to take one frackin penny of it unless I was hard up and maybe needed money for chemotherapy, morphine or whatever.

Oh... I understand why you can't comprehend this after thinking about it for a second. You're the same guy who was bragging earlier about having an on/off switch on his empathy and compassion for other people.... and if I'm not mistaken that is in itself a sign of several mental disorders.

Here's what wikipedia has to say about her final years and social security.

"Rand underwent surgery for lung cancer in 1974. In 1976, despite her initial objections, allowed Evva Pryor, a social worker from her attorney's office, to enroll her in Social Security and Medicare. During the late 1970s her activities declined, especially after the death of her husband on November 9, 1979. One of her final projects was work on a never-completed television adaptation of Atlas Shrugged. Rand died of heart failure on March 6, 1982, at her home in New York City, and was interred in the Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York.[99] Her funeral was attended by some of her prominent followers, including Alan Greenspan."

I am aware of the circumstances in her final years and I am also aware that she did not want to be a slave to the collective anything. I am happy for her that she was able to get some of the money she contributed back and also receive the medical attention she needed through the collective she despised and would have denied others.

As for your personal commentary...I have no idea what you are talking about and if you can provide me with the specific remark and the context in which it was used I will respond. You crossed a line with your mental disorders remark and your other insinuations that I ignored last time.

[Virge]

East Said,

"She didn't give a f*ck when other people were dying of cancer or starving." (how do you know this?)

"I do dismiss anyone who has no compassion or empathy for other human beings." How do you know she had no compassion or empathy?

(this is the same as saying, "I have no compassion or empathy for people I BELIEVE have no compassion or empathy.") < the on/off switch. I don't have one and don't think most do either.

[LJay]

One of the reasons Ayn Rand appeals to some as "philosophy" is that she is pretty simple. All for one and all for one. Why get complicated? Just grab and keep.

She does not hold up well in the long run.

[jaxc]

One of the reasons Ayn Rand appeals to some as "philosophy" is that she is pretty simple. All for one and all for one. Why get complicated? Just grab and keep.

She does not hold up well in the long run.

Actually, I think "survival of the fittest" would be closer to describing her general attitude and philosophy. All for one and one for all seems more like the communist/socialist mindset (simplified anyways).