We were born into this society and it had certain influence on all of us. I don’t know or I cant know where that influenced ended or to which extent I was influenced. What thoughts are my own? How do I know its my own original idea and that it has not been affected by others or borrowed from mixed sources? My thoughts and my conscience has been shaped by people around me. I have taken from others and blended them with my style but I don’t think we can call it original. I take decisions all the time, our life takes shape out of the decisions that we make and we are constantly making it. How do I know that the decisions I have made are originally mine and not influenced? How do I find out that it’s my life I am living and that its not an assortment of life? I would hate that.
According to objectivism, a man must listen to his reasons and not his emotions. But I fail to understand that how can our reasoning not be affected. Our life is not a mathematical phenomenon which is guided by theorems and equations. It’s a much more complicated theory where nothing seems to be absolute. Or so it seems to me.
What I have learnt in my life and what I believe in is not pure objectivism, of that I am sure. But objectivism is totally contrasting to altruism, or so I think. I believe in altruism and I have always believed in it. Now at this point in life I am confused between: reasons or emotions, self or others, love for few or love for all.
Posted by michele on April 10, 2010 at 5:59 am
you must have a balance. this is exactly how i felt after reading the fountainhead, and it drove me crazy for a little. but one must remember that man is an emotional creature by nature, and cannot exist in such extremes as presented in ayn rand’s black and white world. nothing in our life is so simple. emotion and love for others is part of our chemical make up, and is impossible to ignore.
it is true that reason must be exercised in all situations, but it cannot be forgotten that emotion will always be felt in the outcome; therefore in your decisions you should use reason, but remember that in the end, emotion will dictate whether or not you are happy with the results of that decision. following the masses does empty out the soul, and without originality we are not an individual person. the self must always be remembered. yet we cannot isolate ourselves from caring for others; if helping and caring for others makes you happy, and you alone, you are still feeding the self while benefitting the world around you.
Posted by anonymous on April 18, 2010 at 1:53 am
“Our life is not a mathematical phenomenon which is guided by theorems and equations. It’s a much more complicated theory where nothing seems to be absolute. Or so it seems to me.”
This suits you to perfection. You make a statement and you are unsure over its validity.