Ayn Rand Institute's Former Participant essay submission

Below is my submission for the ARI former participant essay contest where I won third place.

Here is the prompt: What was your initial response to the novel(s)? In what ways has reading Ayn Rand inspired you and the choices you have made in your life?

For more information on other contests visit the AYN RAND NOVELS website.

Also, for more information about The Ayn Rand Institute visit their website HERE.

Here is my essay: How Ayn Rand has Affected Me.

“Howard Roark laughed… He laughed at the thing which had happened to him that morning and at the things which now lay ahead.” Roark is laughing at the fact that he has been expelled from Architectural school. He is laughing because there will be more obstacles, and he knows he will win. Seemingly his career should be over, yet he shrugs the incident off as would a child who has scraped his knee and quickly goes back to play. Immediately, Roark’s viewpoint in life had a deep impact on me.

Throughout the novel Roark is never deterred from his goal, and never imagines he might be unable to accomplish his deepest values. Dominique on the other hand believes Roark’s success is not possible. He is great, but greatness can’t live for long in this world, she thinks. While Roark waits for clients and struggles from commission to commission, Dominique actively seeks to ensure he does not attain any commissions. His view is that values are achievable, hers that they are not.

Ayn Rand called these metaphysical views the benevolent and malevolent universe premises.

I was constantly confronted with the malevolent viewpoint. It was a view that seemed always to hamper my progress. At the age of 16 I decided I wanted to be a public speaker and open a seminar production company. I was promptly informed this was not possible, because I’d have to prove myself in some way first. This seemed like good advice, so at 17 I planned out in great detail how I would achieve financial independence by the age of 35 through real estate investing. “Make sure to be practical,” and “that isn’t a likely outcome, but good luck,” were common reactions to my goals. I had no defense against these proclamations except for my desire to run my own seminar production company and travel the country expressing my passion for life. I continued with my plans while this doubt was still picking at my brain.

As I started out on my course of action I realized this plan had a huge hole in it. I did not enjoy real estate investing. How could I stand waiting 15-20 years to do what I actually wanted to do? I had no answers, and that doubt, which became fear, was that I didn’t know if it was even possible.

At 17, fortunately, I read The Fountainhead. In it was the man who laughed at the actions of the Dean, and at Ellsworth Toohey’s attempt to destroy him. I witnessed the portrayal of a hero achieving against seemingly impossible odds. I started to create a new vision of what was possible for me. I had stifled a passion for film years prior, because I was assured nobody can really become successful in the film industry. But, as Roark says to the dean, “I have, let’s say, sixty years to live. Most of that time will be spent working. I’ve chosen the work I want to do. If I find no joy in it, then I’m only condemning myself to sixty years of torture.” Roark’s courage, his view that values are achievable, gave me courage, and a similar view of what is possible began to emerge within me.

At 18 I read Atlas Shrugged, and met Dagny Taggart and John Galt. Here I saw the full demonstration of what I felt in reading about Roark and his struggle. I saw what is possible at the deepest philosophical roots. I understood Dagny’s race to find the inventor of the motor, while all the men of the mind are disappearing around her, comes from her deep set need to view the best possible in man. She requires a reaffirmation that man is a being capable of achieving high values on earth. Her search, and the entire novel, showed me the contrasting views of the benevolent and malevolent universe premises, and what the consequences to each were in such vivid detail I no longer held any doubt.

By the age of 20 I was fully on my way to becoming a writer and producer of films. The inevitable responses of how impossible this would be began. However, now I had a deep philosophic base upon which to draw. I often pointed out to people the hundreds of individuals in the credits of just one film, and the hundreds of movies made each year. They made this film, why do you think it impossible for me, I’d ask. Those were the lucky ones, and realistically that rarely happens, I was told. I saw the malevolent universe premise peering its ugly head at me. The people around me did not view achievement as a possibility to any but the born lucky. This was the view of James Taggart, Orren Boyle, and Howard Roark’s Dean. They didn’t believe true success was possible in the world.

For me however, I knew that so long as one assessed reality and oneself, as Roark, Dagny and Galt do, what I sought was achievable. When Dagny looks up into Galt’s face after crashing in Atlantis she says, “We never had to take any of it seriously, did we?” This was the expression of the benevolent universe premise, which has been deeply ingrained into my soul. Success is possible, it is not given to man, he must create it, but it is possible to create the career he desires, to create the life he wants – I can be what I want to be.

Ayn Rand’s philosophy as demonstrated in her novels, and elucidated in her essays, has given me the assurance and courage to pursue my dreams. May, 2011 marks my graduation from film school. During my time there I began a film production company where I’ve produced and written over 14 short films, documentaries, commercials, and promotional videos. I also wrote my first feature length screenplay. The difficulties occur regularly as they do for Roark, and as they would in the pursuit of any worthy endeavor. The benevolent universe premise that is now deeply integrated into my ideas always helps me gain perspective of what I can accomplish.

In Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand calls the shack which contains Galt’s motor, “an altar.” The connection to a religious symbol is not coincidental. When Dagny meets Galt she is witnessing the ideal, the possible. If Galt exists, anything is possible.

Ayn Rand’s work gives me the same euphoric feeling, a feeling of worshipful grandeur, and a fuel to continue through the inevitable difficulties. I can laugh at the unimportant, the irrational, while holding the knowledge that if Rand exists, anything is possible.

The Importance of the Amazon Kindle 2

It sits there, next to my computer, whirring in exalted silence, seeming to say to me, “read me! Read me!” It is the Amazon Kindle 2. For those poor uninformed souls out there, unaware of what a kindle is, put yourself at ease, I shall reveal to you the wonder that is The Kindle 2. A kindle – produced by Amazon – may be one of the next great technological improvements of our time. Simply put, it is an electronic e-book reader. While true that there are other e-book readers on the market, and soon to be more, the Kindle easily trumps them all.

The Kindle 2 (Amazon’s second version) is stock full of new goodies. It includes special gray tone technology to ensure ease of reading on your eyes – it’s just like reading a print book. The screen has anti-glare technology, and the kindle also is equipped with whisper net capabilities. Whisper net is free internet – works like a cell phone – to allow ease of purchasing new books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and more; on the go. The Kindle also has a speak to me function – although this is like listening to a robot attempting to pronounce proper names not in its dictionary, still somewhat effective for reading on the go.

The way in which The Kindle 2 will revolutionize our lives is threefold. One, people who found excuses not to read, such as difficulty in carrying books around wherever they go, will have no such excuses today; the kindle is lightweight and little thicker than a fountain pen. Next, individuals who wish to write: books, blogs, newspapers, magazines, but find it difficult to get their work published, now have a cheaper alternative. Who needs the printed word anymore? Lastly, it will save the poor backs of every student the world over! Why would anyone carry humongous loads of books around in burdensome backpacks when a Kindle can fit in the back pocket of many a baggy jean? Moreover, The Kindle 2 holds over 150,000 books, not including your own online library – care of Amazon.

This remarkable product was brought about in a free market, where the decline of readers of the printed word has opened up a whole new market. Yet again, we are given a brilliant example of free minds in open markets establishing new ways to give their customers what they want. E-reading will not eliminate reading, but enhance it; and, assuming the government stays out of this sector of the economy, the price of The Kindle and e-readers like it will drop dramatically in price as technology improves through competition – much like computers – making this wonderful product (with a battery life of up to two weeks) available to everyone. Bye-bye New York Times, Denver Post, Economist, Constitutional Reporters – PRINT – I have my kindle now, I’ll see you there.

Reporting myself

Below is an e-mail I sent to the whitehouse in order to report myself for opposing Obama's new healthcare bill. Ari Armstrong and many others have written in, and so should you. Read here for more information.

Here is what I sent:

I am a 24 year old film student at the University of Colorado Denver. I want to turn myself in to whoever is in charge of your thought police. I have started a newspaper, a blog, and I am currently working on a video to infect the youth on campus of that nasty word which you have no right in uttering; truth. I will ensure that many young people are aware of what you are doing to their futures. Please inform me of where I need to go in order to turn myself in for the abhorrent crime of thinking.

Bad Science and Green Crazyness Isn't New

So, which is it; Global Cooling, Global Warming or Global Temperature Change?

Apparently, it is all three. In the 70's there was a huge uproar of what we should be doing to prevent the global cooling. Of course, we haven't cooled down, but we have obviously warmed up. Until, that is, the evidence that our whole world was warming up went away and now we are supposed to call it climate change. That seems quite ridiculous. Doesn't the global climate change constantly? Through the day, week, month, millenia? Of course it does, and history including very good science can even show us some of the changes, such as The medieval warming, the little ice age etc. Today we are worried about a temperature change not because anyone really cares what will happen to other people (the real damage will occur when they destroy technology), but because they wish to utilize the fear of average American's in order to take control over our lives. People are much more willing to give up certain liberties if they are convinced their lives and their families lives are at stake.

If you are unsure of my reasoning, below is a link to an article written in 1974 in TIME magazine. I want you to keep in mind that this is 1974 not 2009 and you will realize that the garbage we are being fed today is the same garbage they've been feeding us for over 30 years.

Time Magazine (1974): "Another Ice Age?"

Pajamas TV

Interested in a different news story. Check out Pajamas TV, dedicated to covering stories not always on your mainstream news station or radio. Pajamas also has a list of dedicated bloggers. Since the Blog world can be like the "Wild West," as they call it, they attempt to weed out some of the erroneous blogs and supply you with a fresh taste of excellent blogs based upon reason and truth. Their TV is informative, mostly free, and quite entertaining. Enjoy their commentaries on Obama's Healthcare plan, the right to life debate, the climate change debate, and much more!

http://www.pjtv.com/

Great Blog Roll

If you are the type to go from blog to blog to find your favorites, a great blogroll is available for you.
Visit http://www.condron.us/ to find see a list of blogs on their website. You may even add your own to their blogroll if you wish. You can determine the speed it runs through blogs, what kind of blogs you wish to look at and more. So check it out!

The-Undercurrent

The Undercurrent (TU) is an independent, student-run Objectivist newspaper distributed twice a year at college campuses across America. TU is currently looking for distributors and donors for its Spring 2009 edition.

If you would like to distribute, please visit http://the-undercurrent.com/order/ and buy your copies of TU today. If money is an issue, please email us at distributors@the-undercurrent.com. There is limited funding from donors for students who want to buy and distribute TU but cannot afford to do so. If you're part of an Objectivist campus club, you may want to see if your college will fund distribution of TU as a club activity.

If you don't have time to distribute, but would like to help us spread rational ideas in academia, you may want to consider donating to TU. A relatively small amount of money can make a big difference. For example, donating $26.50 gets 250 copies of TU distributed at a college campus in United States! And because TU is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, donations are tax deductible. Please visit http://the-undercurrent.com/donate/ and contribute directly using PayPal.

If you have any questions about distributing or donating, please email us at contact@the-undercurrent.com.

Spreading rational ideas on college campuses is critical to making this world a better place.

Thank you for your support.

The Undercurrent

Free Thoughts

Is it too late for freedom in America? As we continue down road after road towards socialism we make it harder to wane ourselves off of the welfare state we have all allowed to come into existence. Today, 40% of our GDP is taxed. After much reflection it becomes apparent that there is only a few narrow paths ahead of us. First, A decline and fall of America, see Edward Gibbons Book The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire to see the eerie correlations. Second, is a military coup to overthrow our already statist government, economist professor Thomas Sowell and others have sadly professed to this possibility. Lastly, we can only hope for the possibility of an intellectual take-over by free minds. In an article by Gen LaGreca, entitled “The Declaration of independence 2008,” she rewrites one of America’s most sacred documents to show the horrible lose of individual rights we’ve given up over the last 100 years. Instead of attacking King George the III as Thomas Jefferson did in the original Declaration of Independence, LaGreca has pointed out the evils our own government has perpetrated.

I suggest everyone take a long hard look at where we are, and find the time to engage in a little intellectual activism. When some man or woman yells hysterically that we must have socialized medicine, stop and ask them ‘by what right do some individuals have a claim over others?’ When people say we must stop CEO’s from earning so much, stop and ask, ‘By what right can we stop productive individuals from earning their just compensation?’ And, worst of all, when we hear those many individuals claiming these things such as; healthcare, housing, leisure, jobs and more are rights and that we must all pitch in to help our fellow man. Stop and ask, ‘when did our country stop protecting individual rights and become a country of parasites and looters?’

I wish everyone a life filled with prosperity, justice, and freedom.