We all have a way of facing life, the world, and other people. We develop a “sense” or a “feel,” a sort of continuing emotion that corresponds to our overall view of life—“it’s a wonderful world” on the one hand, or “life’s a bitch, and then you die” on the other. Ayn Rand called this…
Author: Carl Barney
Objectivism Goes Worldwide
In May this year, 50 bright, active-minded men and women from 23 countries embarked on a serious study program of Ayn Rand’s books and Leonard Peikoff’s books and courses. This is the launch of the Prometheus Fellowship, initiated and funded with a $2.3 million dollar grant by my Prometheus Foundation. Wolf Von Laer (CEO) and…
Fighting Back against Oppression
(This is mostly for people who have been following the assault on my colleges and Independence University by the Colorado AG and the Department of Education. Feel free to disregard….) My colleges and Independence University—built over several decades into a student-oriented, high-quality, results-focused institution—were callously destroyed by the Department of Education on the basis of…
New Intellectuals and New Frontiers for Objectivism
(This is for Objectivists. Please feel free to forward this, and I appreciate any feedback that you care to provide.) Ayn Rand saw the need for new intellectuals. She wanted to reach intelligent, ambitious, young (and older) minds with her inspirational, rational philosophy—a philosophy for living fully, successfully, and happily. Her long essay “For The…
Work
Work is a life-sustaining activity—literally life-sustaining. We work to acquire food, to earn money to pay for shelter, and to produce all the values upon which our lives depend. Work is the lifeblood of not only our physical health, but also our psychological/spiritual health. Purposeful work is one of man’s noblest values and virtues. That’s…
Thanksgiving Message: Generosity, Appreciation, and Gratitude
I’ve learned some important lessons about generosity and its emotional offspring, gratitude. From Generosity to Gratitude Magnanimous, “great-souled men,” as Aristotle called them, are generous. But generosity is about more than material gifts. It’s about expressing care, admiration, and love, and sharing knowledge, wisdom, and—if we have some to spare—money and possessions, too. My friends’…
Appreciation, Gratitude, Admiration, and Love
When I first read Atlas Shrugged, I thought “there’s something important here.” But I did not and could not appreciate it fully until I read Ayn Rand’s nonfiction and took Dr. Leonard Peikoff’s courses. Then I appreciated it immensely! When I began to apply the philosophy, to use it personally in my life and for…
Objectivism in One Sentence
I was stunned to see a statement/announcement by a senior Objectivist. It read: “Objectivism in one sentence: I’m not brave enough to be a coward—I see the consequences too clearly.” “This quintessentially Ayn Rand quip captures and implies the entire Objectivist philosophy, ‘A is A’ to rational selfishness, to the politics of laissez faire, and…
Students for Liberty: A Perfect Audience for Ayn Rand’s Ideas
Students for Liberty (SFL) is an international organization whose purpose is to educate young people about the nature and importance of liberty; to develop leaders who are willing and conceptually equipped to fight effectively for liberty; and to empower them by providing resources, networks, infrastructure, and general support for their activities. Attendance at SFL’s events…
Feeling
Here’s a quote from Ayn Rand that I enjoy and find personally beneficial. A perfect, clear understanding also means a feeling. It isn’t enough to realize a thing is true. The realization must be so clear that one feels this truth. For men act on feelings, not on thoughts. Every thought should be part of…