It shouldn't be surprising that one of Rand's heroic characters was based on a serial killer. There are sociopathic and narcissistic elements in her protagonists and in her total obsession with selfishness. Her heroes have no remorse, and she creates falsehood on top of falsehood to explains why no one should care why some people do not have equal access to resources. How people can drink that kool-aid is beyond me, mostly because her theories are unthoughtful and undemocratic in every way.
What does it say about humans that they change their entire belief system because they read a FICTION NOVEL? It's baffling to me. It is no different than Scientology or any cult or pseudo-religion that uses literary fiction to sway the mind. Fiction novels do not generally show empirical evidence, encourage critical thinking, or offer any comparative analysis. So if Rand could convince people to wholeheartedly follow her thinking, using fictional characters, she must have been highly persuasive.
Ayn Rand constantly wrote about good and evil, right and wrong, black and white, and wrote that the "middle" is even evil. (Her words, not mine) Ayn Rand never lets you question her. And Objectivists seem to see things only through the lens of Objectivism and have a hard time discussing the possibility that their may be differing opinions-or they say that non-believers just do not understand her. (a very cultish reply)
At some point in my education I realized that the "middle" is probably where true knowledge lives: collecting evidence, reading more, questioning, talking, re-questioning, comparing, etc. Right and wrong, in an absolute way, probably does not exist entirely and never will, and it might be prudent to distrust people who say they know the true definitions of right and wrong. Avowing right and wrong in a new passionate way is often how cults are formed. And perhaps the "middle" actually creates the purest kind of individuality. Extremism, such as objectivism, will always be too cultish to create an individual honesty of heart and mind. I think people should read Rand's works for sure, but they should keep reading and compare her ideas with real life, before they get too stuck in a lonely, left-brained, fixed mentality. Her concepts likely wont jive with reality, because they are not created in reality. Furthermore, many of her beliefs go against so much known science: neurology, anthropology, sociology, poli-sci, philosophy, economics, etc etc. It does not make her entirely wrong, but it certainly means her "absolutism" is in question.
But, really, how is it that people are perfectly comfortable changing their entire relationships with morality after they read FICTION, and then become entirely different political entities?? It's shocking how gullible people are. But we have seen this kind of mental and emotional brain washing of humans time and time again.
Sorry, I have to run- I have to take my spaceship back to my mother planet and try to help Xenu and my fellow Thetans.
No comments:
Post a Comment