An  overview

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Before I get into Ayn Rand's influence on me, for those of you not familiar with her writings, both fiction, and non-fiction, I think ChatGPT provides a good overview:

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Ayn Rand, a Russian-American writer and philosopher, has had a significant impact on both philosophical thought and political discourse through her development of Objectivism. This philosophy emphasizes rational self-interest, individualism, and capitalism. Her influence can be seen across various domains, from literature and academia to political movements and economic policies.

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Philosophical Influence: Rand's Objectivism is grounded in the belief that reality exists independently of consciousness and that individuals must use reason as their primary means of understanding and interacting with the world. This philosophy champions the pursuit of one’s own happiness as the highest moral purpose, rejecting altruism, which she saw as a moral failing. Her ideas challenge traditional ethical frameworks that prioritize collective well-being over individual rights. In works like "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged," Rand illustrates her philosophy through protagonists who exemplify her ideals of rationality, independence, and productivity.

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Political Influence: Politically, Rand's advocacy for laissez-faire capitalism has resonated strongly with libertarian and conservative thinkers. Her staunch defense of free markets and limited government intervention provides intellectual support for policies promoting economic freedom and deregulation. Rand’s critiques of statism and collectivism, particularly in "Atlas Shrugged," underscore her belief that government overreach stifles innovation and personal freedom. These views have influenced prominent political figures and policymakers, contributing to the broader discourse on the role of government in society.

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Cultural Impact: Culturally, Rand's work has cultivated a dedicated following, known as the "Randians," who propagate her ideas through various institutes and academic programs. The Ayn Rand Institute, for example, continues to promote her philosophy through educational initiatives and public advocacy.

Despite criticisms of her work as overly dogmatic or lacking in empathy, Rand's contributions to philosophical and political thought remain influential. Her advocacy for rational self-interest and capitalism continues to spark debate and inspire individuals seeking to align their lives and societies with these principles.

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Ayn Rand's influence on me

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I became a libertarian around the age of 14, influenced heavily by the literature provided by the Foundation for Economic Education.

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But it was not until I was 19 and in college, trying to figure out my life and its direction, that I stumbled onto the book "The Virtue of Selfishness" by Ayn Rand.

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Her philosophy of Objectivism, as explicated in this book of essays, seemed to transform my life.

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I read everything I could get my hands on, including her two best-selling novels, "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged." I subscribed to her newsletter "The Objectivist." I called myself a "student of Objectivism," as she requested that people who wanted to study and promote her ideas. 

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Later, when I moved to New York City, I attended lectures on her philosophy, provided by the Nathaniel Branden Institute, in their offices located in the Empire State Building.

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Getting Ayn Rand's autograph

 

I donated some money to support her newsletter to be available to readers in selected libraries around the country. One time, when attending a lecture at the Nathaniel Branden Institute, Ayn Rand was there as a special guest. I chose the courage to ask for her autograph on my copy of Atlas Shrugged, which she graciously provided.

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in the audience of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson"

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I had a good friend, Anne Wortham, a fellow Objectivist, who worked as the executive assistant to David Brinkley, co-anchor for The Huntley-Brinkley Report on NBC News. On at least three occasions, when we knew that Johnny Carson of The Tonight Show was going to be hosting Ayn Rand as his guest, Anne was able to get me tickets to be a guest in the audience. I was excited and felt so special to be so close to such a "titan of history," as I saw her.

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Why couldn't others see what I saw?

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It seemed so obvious to me. Any Rand's logic seemed impeccable. How could anybody who thought deeply disagree with the fundamentals that she spoke about? 

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One of the big questions that Ayn Rand explored, especially in her novel Atlas Shrugged, was this, "If evil was fundamentally powerless. which by her definition it was, how then did evil get a stronghold in the world?" 

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Her answer to this question was that evil was able to thrive by being the parasite that was able to survive by the "sanction of the victim."

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Ayn Rand was very big on the moral imperative to be condemning of any ideas or behavior that even had a whiff of being non-selfish (as she viewed selfishness to be).

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One time, when she was fielding questions at the end of one of the course lectures on her philosophy given at the Nathaniel Branden Institute, I saw her scathingly rebuke a young man who asked a question that presupposed some altruistic obligation.

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This is where we start to get to Ayn Rand's big mistake

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Ayn Rand lived deeply inside the House of Good and Bad. In fact, she would have considered it totally immoral to consider stepping outside that house. She just fundamentally disagreed with the foundation of self-sacrifice that the house was built upon. Righteousness, for her, was a good thing.

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And, quite understandably, those might otherwise have been willing to explore some of her ideas, once they identified her as one of those "dog-eat-dog, uncaring, selfish capitalists," that is all they needed to know and the battle lines were drawn.

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Ayn Rand got the facts right (to an extent), but the implementation wrong

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This Guest House is not about governmental and economic theory. I focus on addressing one-to-one issues that people have within themselves and with others.

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Yet the principle of "sanction of the victim" has an important kernel of truth. 

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Ayn Rand saw actual victims. She believed in victimhood. What I see, instead, are people willing to cash in on the short-term benefits of "looking good" and "not looking bad" (according to the idea that a good person is one who puts others's benefits above their own) in exchange for much bigger (usually more long-term) costs.

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Ayn Rand's "solution" to stamping out evil requires that the "good people" (those totally committed to living a life for themselves and never put another's life above their own) condemn those who would suggest otherwise. I see this "solution," as best, as very short-range and it just perpetuates the biggest source of our suffering, living inside the HOGAB. 

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My solution

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There are no good guys or bad guys. We're all doing our best to get along in this world. We just need to recognize some fundamentals (mostly importantly, it's each person's #1 job to take care of themselves) and to find ways to act long-range as well as short-range. 

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My version of Ayn Rand's idea (without the HOGAB) is expressed in the following suites. Fundamentally, it is as simple as the potential "victim" saying "no."

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Victims: the root of all evil

Competition for Victimhood (fun video)

How you became a victim

How my mother was a victim of my father (video)

Victimhood: all the good people are doing it

Victim

Victimhood bias

I want to say yes, but...

Benefits of righteousness

Undoing defensiveness

Undoing expectations

Undoing betrayal

Undoing guilt

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​How Ayn Rand's righteousness came back to bite her

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Of course, Ayn Rand made some other important mistakes in her philosophical observations and conclusions.

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In my view, none of them did as much damage, not only to the more successful promulgation of her ideas than did her righteously. Of course, none of her detractors (that I know about) are going to point this out ...because they are just as righteous back at her!

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In addition to the damage her righteousness caused in limiting the openness that others might have had in studying her ideas more deeply, her righteousness also wreaked havoc upon her personal life.

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No matter Ayn Rand's intellectual brilliance, it had no chance against the power of righteousness to destroy her curiosity, especially any curiosity about how she might be wrong in her assessment of other people and about facts.

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Two points.

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The greatest of the greatest fell from her favor

 

Ayn Rand considered Nathaniel Branden as her intellectual heir. In the magnum opus Atlas Shrugged, published in 1953, the dedication line read "To Frank O’Connor and Nathaniel Branden." Frank O'Connor was her husband. 

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In 1968, upon discovering that Nathaniel Branden had fallen in love with another woman (Ayn Rand had been his lover up until that point), he suddenly became persona non grata and she published a tirade of explanations of why he was now the lowest of the lowest in her Objectivist Newsletter. The mention of Nathaniel Branden was removed from all following editions of Atlas Shrugged.

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Because the government says it, it must be wrong

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I could never reconcile my idea of "being selfish" with smoking. Ayn Rand's heroes in both "The Fountainhead" (Howard Roark) and "Atlas Shrugged" (John Galt) were depicted as proud smokers. It left me befuddled: how could a woman who so emphasized the importance of being selfish, not only smoke herself but also promote smoking through her heroes?

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Given that, in 1953, when Atlas Shrugged was published, the dangers of smoking may have not been that well known.

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But later, when the documentation was clear and the Surgeon General came out against smoking, Ayn Rand dismissed it as non-believable as coming from the government and trying to interfere in our personal lives.

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Here's is ChatGPT's summary of Ayn Rand's health issues and death.

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Lung Cancer

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Ayn Rand was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974. This diagnosis came after decades of heavy smoking, which she had started as a young woman. At that time, the link between smoking and lung cancer was well-established, but Rand continued to smoke heavily throughout much of her life. Upon her diagnosis, she underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tissue from her lungs. The surgery was successful in removing the immediate threat of cancer, but it significantly impacted her overall health and quality of life.

 

Cardiovascular Disease

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In addition to her battle with lung cancer, Rand also suffered from cardiovascular disease. She experienced symptoms of angina, which is chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, indicating underlying heart problems. Her heart condition required her to be cautious with her health and likely contributed to her eventual death from heart failure in 1982. The combination of her lung cancer surgery and her ongoing heart issues made her final years quite challenging from a health perspective.

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When Ayn Rand died, she had just turned 77.

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Ayn Rand's biggest mistake was that, instead of questioning the HOGAB, she reinforced it

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As a result, a woman of unparalleled brilliance was hamstrung, maybe even more than they would be for those of us who are of lesser genius, by several of the cognitive biases, especially the Confirmation Bias and the Fundamental Attribution Error.

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My thanks to Ayn Rand

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Even though the focus of his suite has been on Ayn Rand's biggest mistake, she got so much right that most people will never consider finding out about it.

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At the time in my life that I discovered her, she made a huge difference to me. I learned a lot from her (and maybe even more from Nathaniel Branden). And, even though Ayn Rand had little interest in psychology herself, through Nathaniel Branden (a psychologist), I began to explore a path that eventually led to me becoming a life coach in 1987. 

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Thank you, Ayn Rand.

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