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”…
Category: Personal
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…
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…
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…
Health and Longevity
(This post is for family and close friends—my trolls will find it distressing.) As I believe you know, I’m engaged in a longevity program: I have a plan to live until I’m 120. After a recent medical consult, I received a perfect score on my biometrics. (Not to say that my body is not having…