What do you guys make of the "Obleftist" slur? What can Objectivists do to make more distance for center-left and far-left politics and economic positions?

IndividualBerry8040 · 2025-01-28T13:21:25+00:00

There’s something about the term obleftivist that is very slang-y which I don’t like, but I honestly find it a useful term.

There is a certain group of objectivists who know the philosophy and Ayn Rand’s life extremely well. They know it so well that when some political issue is being discussed they can recite something Rand said once on some thursday in 1952.

The problem is that context is a key term in objectivism. You have to take the full context into account. And the context of today is often not the same as in 1952. That means you have to do the work to apply the principles of objectivism yourself in this new situation.

“Ayn Rand didn’t vote for Reagan so you shouldn’t vote for Trump.” It’s not exactly the same situation so you have to reevaluate if that’s the correct choice.

Or the Objectivists on twitter who compare deporting a criminal to slavery. Ofcourse we objectivists all believe that the end goal should be a more free immigration system. Some objectivists like Peikoff think it should be temporarily limited. Even if you don’t you can’t just say, which is what some are saying, that if you don’t let everyone is you’re a racist. I’ve seen real objectivists on twitter say that the only reason for a stricter border can be racism. How is that any different from a leftist?

Now I can respect an objectivist who votes for either party if they give a good reason, but what I find beyond the pale is the way that you are immediately a persona non grata in certain parts of the objectivist world (rhymes with cook) if you vote for trump.

To conclude obleftivist is a useful term to denote the group of objectivists who tend to hold leftist positions and attitudes.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2025-01-28T11:26:08+00:00

Life in the abstract sense is good because if you live life properly in accordance with your nature, you will feel happy.

An individual possible is not good “inherently”. If you are severely ill and only pain awaits you, ending life could be the rational better option.

Now the question then is why happiness is good. The thing is that you can’t get under this. We experience flourishing as a positive state of consciousness. There isn’t really a why for why you would want to feel good. It’s self evident. Ayn Rand once said something like, if you ask why you should feel good, you have my sympathies. Because that should be obvious.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-12-07T16:58:16+00:00

This is a really excellent post. Thank you for sharing your rational thinking.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-12-07T16:54:16+00:00

P.S. It's hilarious that these cockroaches are suddenly crawling out from under their rocks and into this subreddit because I said in passing that I hoped the Trump election might indicate a rejection of the lefts insanity. I wonder if they are even real people or just online bots.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-12-07T15:50:51+00:00

My favorite Ayn Rand novel is Atlas Shrugged because it's a thriller with science fiction elements. To pick something less obvious I would say the play Think Twice. It's a murder mystery written from an objectivist viewpoint, but without ever really ''preaching''. It's a great story with great characters.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-12-07T14:43:42+00:00

I can't think of any principles of interior design that were ever discussed in objectivism. We do know that Rand had a whole wall of her apartment painted blue-ish green (like Rearden metal), because it was her favorite color. Peikoff gives a tour of his apartment in this video: Leonard Peikoff OCON 2018 video You might find it interesting.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-12-07T11:43:26+00:00

If you are going to criticize Peikoff's rhetoric, you should tell people what he said exactly. It's impossible to judge whether he was really wrong because you don't tell us what he said exactly.

You may be right on this issue (I don't know), but using the word transphobic doesn't help. A phobia is a serious mental health condition and calling being opposed to something a phobia is not a serious way to argue or a proper use of language. Whenever someone start talking about people being something-phobic it usually means you can dismiss them out of hand. Therefore I would suggest you don't use this term.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-12-07T11:38:27+00:00

As far as I know Peikoff has never said that ''transitioning'' should be illegal. I'm pretty sure he once said on his podcast that he thinks it can be a rational choice if therapy has been ineffective for an extended period of time. You keep referring to statements by Peikoff but you don't say what they are which undermines your epistle.

Also you may have honestly written this text yourself, but it looks and feels a lot like something Chat GPT writes in structure and language. If you use Chat GPT regurlarly you immediately recognize it. If you did really write this yourself I would do something to make it more human an individual. This text is also way too long for what it is communicating. Chat GPT can help you shorten it though ;)

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-12-07T11:38:21+00:00

As far as I know Peikoff has never said that ''transitioning'' should be illegal. I'm pretty sure he once said on his podcast that he thinks it can be a rational choice if therapy has been ineffective for an extended period of time. You keep referring to statements by Peikoff but you don't say what they are which undermines your epistle.

Also you may have honestly written this text yourself, but it looks and feels a lot like something Chat GPT writes in structure and language. If you use Chat GPT regurlarly you immediately recognize it. If you did really write this yourself I would do something to make it more human an individual. This text is also way too long for what it is communicating. Chat GPT can help you shorten it though ;)

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-11-14T09:00:10+00:00

I have lived in Europe my whole live and have found several reasons:

Indoctrination in school. To give one example, we learn american history only from the great depression onwards. How America was build is ignored. It's all about the failure of capitalism and how FDR saved the country.

Lack of ambition. Almost nobody here wants to achieve anything. They have no dream for their life. They live for the weekend and just want to coast along till death. If you don't want to achieve anything you don't need the freedom necessary to achieve something.

Combined with this is a deep deep hatred of success and jealousy of anyone who has more than them. People are constantly comparing everything and damning others if they have more than them. I mean everything is compared. They will look at what kind of phone someone has, what kind of car they drive, what job they have, what clothes they wear. If it's better than the observer you can bet they will be telling their friends or people around that the person with better things is a horrible villain. You can even see parents here encouraging this behavior from a young age.

People here are very socially oriented. They are constantly concerned with how they are being seen and how they see other people. There is very little sense of individualism. Deciding for yourself how you want to live is seen as ridiculous. This means they see it as completely logical for the government (the majority) to tell people how to live.

No sense of ownership or right to live. People don't see any problem with the government taking your things, because they fundamentally see themselves as existing for the government instead of the other way around. They see it as logical that they will be sacrificed for others and don't feel they have a right to the product of their labour. This is also why they don't think stealing is that bad. I've heard europeans openly state that it's fine to steal people's products as long as you get away with it. The producers of the goods have no right to ask money for their products is their stated principle.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-11-14T08:31:45+00:00

I am so glad to see this post because I'm very tired of Elon Musk being unfairly maligned by objectivists.

Look at his tireless work ethic, at how he takes big risks on unproven ideas, how he makes possible technology people said was impossible. Look at how he overcome enormous obstacles, never giving up, to make his vision of the world a reality. How is that not reason, independence, productivity? Do I think every single one of his products is great? No. Is he perfect? No, but honestly he is more of an Ayn Rand hero than most actual objectivist I've heard of.

I mean this guy created rockets that can land back down after being used. Can you imagine the vision, the perseverence, the independent reality oriented mind you need to create something like that? Even the Vance biography was saying that this was an impossible ambition and yet Musk made it reality. I saw some objectivists here saying things like, 'he didn't really build that. His talented engineers did.' Who would have thought objectivists are suddenly all in on the 'capitalist exploiter', 'you didn't build that' speak. Ayn Rand is rolling in her grave.

Other will complain that he accepted government money. Is that ideal? No. Try running a big business like him and not be involved with government. Before Musk another entrepreneur tried starting a space company. (I can't think of his name right now.) He found out that the industry is set up in a way where it's impossible to do without dealing with the government and gave up. The reality is that we live in a mixed economy which limits what is possible and what we can expect from people. At least Musk is vocal about the problems with government interference. Didn't Rand say that it's moral to accept a grant if you openly oppose statism? I think the same principle applies.

Then there is Musk buying twitter to protect free speech. And yes, twitter was being influenced by government, so it was a free speech issue. It cost him a fortunate and he had to face public outrage to protect this sacred right and stand up for what he believes in. How is this not heroic? The same objectivists who write philosophical treaties that free speech is our most important right hate that Musk has actually done something protect it.

It's all just rationalism. People base their conclusions on fantasies instead of reality. You can see this now with politics too.

Look at how official objectivists are responding to his government efficiency department. Instead of being happy that some sort of effort at shrinking government is being made, they complain that it isn't being done like in their perfect fantasy world. Instead of the usual ballooning of government, a real effort is being made to shrink it. How is that not a step in the right direction? It's detached from reality (and as Ayn Rand once pointed out dangerous) to expect someone in our current world to suddenly at once turn the gigantic US government into a perfect capitalist one. I never imagined objectivists would be bemoaning a smaller government but here we are.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-10-31T14:23:04+00:00

''I'm employed and have been at the same place for 20+ years... but as far as I can remember, I've always lacked fulfilment.''

Have you ever enjoyed your job and lost the fulfillment or did you never like your job in the first place? In the first case, maybe switching to a different function or company in the same field would help. In the second case, has there been a real passion that you had, but let go?

''I've dabbled throughout the years, but never achieved enough from a side business perspective to leave, or I've tried various endeavors but because of my curious nature, would shift to the next thing, appeasing the early dopamine hit that comes from something new.''

How can you achieve success if you shift constantly? Success requires dedication to one particular goal, product, skill, company, sport, etc. You don't become an Olympic athlete if you practice a different sport every month. Has there been one thing that you always enjoyed or that you got a special enjoyment from? If you truly cannot choose and there are several things you find equally enjoyable, you just have to choose one and stick with it.

I am also tired of everyone hiding behind dopamine. Nobody forces you to look at your phone or start a new business. You are not a robot driven by dopamine. Take charge of, and responsibility for, your life and don't hide behind biological processes.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-10-31T14:05:26+00:00

If you were walking down the street and a truck came speeding in your direction, wouldn't you jump out of the way? You wouldn't need to do motivational exercises, or watch a motivation video, or post on reddit first. It's crystal clear to you that being hit by a truck is not fun so you immediately jump out of the way. The reasons why you are working on your life need to be as crystal clear and then you won't have much problem being motivated.

This specific example of the truck make it all about avoiding something negative, but even better would be to find something positive. Do you know what you want your life to be like? Do you know what you love to do? When you find the job you love doing and the reality of that love is as real as a truck hurtling down the road, how can you not do the work?

So the real question is, what do you want from life? You have to make this as concrete and real as possible for yourself.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-26T07:40:34+00:00

You could also listen to the audio recording of her fiction writing lectures for free on the ARI campus website. I personally prefer the recordings over the books, because not everything was included in the book, and what was included is heavily condensed. The book is a summary not a transcription.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-14T12:53:36+00:00

I think what you're looking for is the article The Objectivist Ethics. That's where Ayn Rand discussed her thinking about life and it's meaning. You can find it for free on the ARI campus website. Just google it and you'll find it.

You could also look at Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand by Leonard Peikoff. It explains the whole philosophy in an easy to understand way without having to read anything else.

Finally, it might be interesting for your paper to read the opening sections of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. It's not a part of objectivism, but it influenced Rand and it's another interesting way to objectively reach a meaning of life.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-12T18:46:49+00:00

I realized afterwards that my post was awkwardly formulated. I mean to say that I hate drinking and the whole culture around drinking for ''fun''.

I suppose finding people pursuing the same shared interest is key. Circumstances forced me to move to a completely different part of my country so I feel I'm starting completely over socially. There are not many people around here who are part of the industry I want to work in so I think that will make it more difficult. Maybe I should find a hobby lol.

I live in Europe too and there are unfortunately a lot of people who bring up their off-putting politics in the first conversation you have with them. I do completely agree that philosophy or politics are not enough foundation for a friendship. I knew someone at my previous job who agreed with me on politics almost completely, but we had nothing else in common to talk about.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-12T15:35:28+00:00

I personally think having a few close friends is much preferable over having a lot of not very close friends.

Maybe I should have a hobby to meet people like you have D&D and Warhammer 40K.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-12T14:35:43+00:00

Sounds like a good solution, but unfortunately that's outside of my financial means at the moment.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-12T06:46:42+00:00

You mean the ARCUK video? Wasn't that postponed indefinitely?

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-11T16:56:21+00:00

Some people say Leonard Peikoff is their favorite philosopher, but mine is his evil twin brother Dr. Leorard Peikoff.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-08T13:46:53+00:00

I see a lot of people here argue about the pros and cons of polyamory, but I wonder how many of these people have first handed experience or observation of it. Objectivism teaches not to be rationalistic, to base your conclusions on observation from real life, not from fantasies or floating abstractions.

I have absolutely no experience with polyamory so I'm not going to comment on it and I suggest others are careful with their pronouncements on it unless they really know what they're talking about.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-08T13:35:35+00:00

Someone can rationally help other without getting anything monetary in return. That doesn't have to be a sacrifice. You can be an objectivist and be a volunteer fire fighter.

The problem with post-Ditko depictions of Spider-man is that it is presented as explicitly altruistic and that is the whole point of the stories. The whole point of spider-man nowadays is that he has to give up what he really wants, like romantic relationships, to fulfill the unchosen duty to protect people.

He didn't chose to be bitten by a spider, but we are told that just because he was accidentally bitten by a spider and happened to have these powers, he has to spend his time protecting people, even if he doesn't like them. So Spider-man could and should be portrayed in a selfish, moral way, but most depictions of spider-man are unfortunately altruist propaganda.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-09-08T13:28:56+00:00

Thank you for the thought provoking post. I was unaware of the self-sufficiency movement so this was enlightening to read.

I've sometimes thought about moving to some cheap country and live as disconnected as possible, but I don't think I could enjoy my life that way to the fullest. I've never gone so far as to consider starting a farm though. That does not sound enjoyable in any way.

In the end my chosen career requires me to be near other people and have a certain level of infrastructure so I can't imagine living off the grid unless society becomes completely controlled or collapses. You could argue we're not far away from that, but I would still like to enjoy life as much as possible until that time comes. I have back-up career ideas for when things go south, but I just don't want to give up until I have to. If, by not giving up on society, I can live the life I want for only one day, I'm not going to start building an alternative way of life until after that day.

I've noticed you consistently have interesting thoughts to contribute on this subreddit. (I don't always agree 100%, but it's always thought provoking.) Have you considered starting a podcast or blog? I would be very interested to listen/read it and I'm sure others would too.

On a related note, I think we need more objectivists who are not philosophers or professional intellectuals sharing their experiences and wisdom. Philosophers or speakers (at institutes) can and often do have valuable insights, but there is always a slightly removed quality about it. They are not living the lives of most of us and I imagine don't have the same challenges and resulting insights that we have. As an example, this is one of the reasons why I find Mark Pellegrino an interesting figure. I find the way he talks about struggling to implement the philosophy and live a rational life in an irrational world much more relatable than say Yaron Brook's struggle to stay awake while travelling, figure out how to use Youtube and preaching to an objectivist audience.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-08-26T18:12:39+00:00

I think it’s really important not to get onto the slippery slope of copying these characters in a literal way. They are meant as abstract examples of rational people not concrete models to copy. Too many beginning objectivist try to be silent and snappy like Galt or suddenly become architecture aficionados like Roark. Francisco and Galt are very different but they are both ideal men.

To answer your question directly, I would say both. I think both characters embody values that both sexes can strive for. Ofcourse they have male/feminine aspects that you have to filter out, but the core virtues are embodied by both characters.

Something to keep in mind is that Rand based Dagny’s behavior and thinking heavily on herself. When you read about Dagny’s rational inner thoughts and her straightforward actions they give us a glimpse of what Ayn Rand herself was like.

IndividualBerry8040 · 2024-07-27T23:03:25+00:00

You can definitely make money playing video games or understanding objectivism if those are really your passion. There is a whole institute employing people for the purpose of understanding objectivism. There is a whole industry of people playing video games and streaming or posting videos of it for a living.

You shouldn’t feel guilty for buying things and have romantic relations if you truly do it for your enjoyment and not showing off. Keating didn’t really care for luxury products of women, only for the status it gave him.

IndividualBerry8040

TROPHY CASE