Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism

[robvalue]

Well, I've decided on balance I'm not voting for her. She even makes me miss David Cameron. It's weird, she doesn't look like much of a philosopher. More like someone who'd ruin a man's life in order to pander to another country. I'll stick to my own morality for now.

I'll vote Labour. We still have a Labour Party right?

No wait, I'll vote Green Party.

[bennyboy]

Not voting for .. . Ayn Rand?

[robvalue]

Yeah. I May be mixing her up with someone else

[abaris]

Yeah. I May be mixing her up with someone else

I guess, you can look a little closer to home to come up with a valid comparison. Between the years 1979 and 1991?

[robvalue]

I don't know. I was just making a stupid joke

[thesummerqueen]

Quantity may not always equal quality, but it definitely helps a person live a fuller life when they aren't afraid of dying before 50. So yeah, I have plenty of derision for the idea that we have to live much more difficult lives just to be able to meet one person's standards of living fully. You want to talk condescending? It's pretty smug to decide that because someone else hasn't met your version of adversity, they must in some way be unfeeling, or numb, or less alive than you. Or that their experiences are somehow more invalid. It's a false sense of superiority and smacks of “get off my lawn”

[bennyboy]

Quantity may not always equal quality, but it definitely helps a person live a fuller life when they aren't afraid of dying before 50. So yeah, I have plenty of derision for the idea that we have to live much more difficult lives just to be able to meet one person's standards of living fully. You want to talk condescending? It's pretty smug to decide that because someone else hasn't met your version of adversity, they must in some way be unfeeling, or numb, or less alive than you. Or that their experiences are somehow more invalid. It's a false sense of superiority and smacks of “get off my lawn”

You're projecting too much, I think.  First, I didn't say I meet my definition of being alive.  Second, I'm not talking about you or anyone you probably know.  I'm talking about people like Ayn Rand, who no matter how long they might live, cannot be said to have a full human existence because they close the door on feelings, instincts and social interactions which are important part of the human experience.

The funny thing is that Rand thinks the other half are missing out on life.  It makes sense, too: watching TV all the time, living only for the next meal, etc. isn't much of a life.  Maybe somewhere in the middle is the best "quality of life": enough conflict to keep things interesting, enough focus to feel purpose, but enough simple freedom to enjoy the 50 years+, the cheap and bountiful food supplies, etc.

[The Grand Nudger]

Back in the day we watched the clouds or the horses screwing and lived for the next meal (when we lived to it at all, ofc).

Most of the popular shows on TV are reality shows, gameshows, or police procedurals. They're built on conflict. If people don't get their conflict fix at work, they get it there.

[CapnAwesome]

I'm gonna say one of the arguably dumbest thing ever.

Is it possible that these great lifestyle improvements are a detriment to our ability to live a full life?  With no struggle is no glory, nay?  With no adversity is no pride of accomplishment?

A little bit I agree with you. Of course I think that things are better now because we have so much leisure time and freedom. Really you can make your life full of struggles and challenges if you want to. Most people don't though. I highly suspect most people in the past didn't either. Most of them were trying their hardest to live comfortable boring lives. But yeah, I do think that in the west most of us don't have real problems, so we invent problems for ourselves. Hence your example of getting mad at a starbuck line. That's really that's person's biggest problem of the day. We evolved in constant struggle and conflict. I think struggle and conflict is in our DNA so when our lives are basically struggle free we invent them everywhere.

[Pat Mustard]

What? You can strawman any philosophy.

How do you strawman "fuck you, I've got mine", then? I'd like to know.