Ayn Rand famously wrote: “Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision.” Such visionary men were often entrepreneurs who created massive wealth and benefits that we all enjoy. The mission of XPRIZE is to bring about “radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity”…
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Pursuit of Pleasure vs. Pursuit of Happiness
Pursuing pleasure is a lot of fun. 😊 Listening to music, reading novels, spending time with friends, romance, walking in the woods, playing with children, sports, hobbies, etc. Pursuing pleasure is what it’s all about, at least according to Aristippus (c. 435‒c.356 BCE) of Athens. He developed a whole school of philosophy called Hedonism, which…
Agreement vs. Disagreement
Agreement is good. It’s reassuring. It’s harmonious; it feels good. Disagreement, on the other hand, can be irritating, annoying, unsettling, and can be upsetting.However, rational disagreement can lead to deeper understanding and result in objectivity.Disagreement done correctly can lead to more effective ideas and solutions. To paraphrase General George S. Patton: If everyone is agreeing,…
A Stunning Statistic
The Wall Street Journal reports that “Over 24,000 bills were passed by state lawmakers in the U.S. in 2022.” This is freedom vs. more laws. If one considers that most laws written in today’s world curtailfreedom, what can we learn from such a stunning statistic? Carl B. BarneyJanuary 9, 2023
It’s a Wonderful World… Or Is It?
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…
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’…
