I read her novels, and a bio on her,
there was a passage where a man forcibly took a woman
and she wrote that the woman brought the man to his knees,
as if it were her fault. Ayn would sleep with any man she had a connection with,
married or not.
She got a huge cult-like following, but the idealistic heartless attitude
meant she had few friends at the end of her life.
Not a fan myself.
I’ve read her books, it was recommended to me when I studied architecture. I didn’t find her way of thinking appealing. I don’t agree with objectivism, I think it is an immature philosophy, and lets people only really consider themselves.
It would be easy to put a very negative construction on the second part of what Ayn Rand believed. Saying “some people don’t matter” could be construed as a reason to get rid of them. It is somewhat ambiguous, though. Nietzsche believed some people mattered more than others. I’m not all that enthusiastic about his notion of the “overman”. He doesn’t say anything about an “overwoman”. I thought Dostoyevsky’s treatment of this idea was right on.
I’m going to start Atlas Shrugged anytime now. But if you think about we may very well pass similar judgement on other people all the time. If you go to a doctor and McDonald’s on the same day who are you more likely remember and have genuine gratitude for? A healer or a burger flipper. It all depends on the moment imo.
When I worked at AT&T and a person was having phone issues and I helped them they weren’t grateful to the fatcat who signed my checks they were more grateful to the underpaid used and abused employee who helped them. Things are always in a state of flux. Sometimes you matter and sometimes you don’t.
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