Yes! And isn't that the root of every despicable action? Not selfishness, but precisely the absence of a self. Look at them. The man who cheats and lies, but preserves a respectable front. He knows himself to be dishonest, but others think he's honest and he derives his self-respect from that, second-hand. The man who takes credit for an achievement which is not his own.
He knows himself to be mediocre, but he's great in the eyes of others. The frustrated wretch who professes love for the inferior and clings to those less endowed, in order to establish his own superiority by comparison. The man whose sole aim is to make money. Now I don't see anything evil in a desire to make money. But money is only a means to some end.
If a man wants it for a personal purpose--to invest in his industry, to create, to study, to travel, to enjoy luxury--he's completely moral. But the men who place money first go much beyond that. Personal luxury is a limited endeavor. What they want is ostentation: to show, to stun, to entertain, to impress others.
They're second-handers. Look at our so-called cultural endeavors. A lecturer who spouts some borrowed rehash of nothing at all that means nothing at all to him--and the people who listen and don't give a damn, but sit there in order to tell their friends that they have attended a lecture by a famous name. All second-handers.
That, precisely, is the deadliness of second-handers. They have no concern for facts, ideas, work. They're concerned only with people. They don't ask: 'Is this true?' They ask: 'Is this what others think is true?' Not to judge, but to repeat. Not to do, but to give the impression of doing. Not creation, but show. Not ability, but friendship. Not merit, but pull. What would happen to the world without those who do, think, work, produce? Those are the egotists. You don't think through another's brain and you don't work through another's hands. When you suspend your faculty of independent judgment, you suspend consciousness. To stop consciousness is to stop life.
-Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead
after MOASS, there's going to be a lot of rebuilding and work to do, I already know primarily what i'm going to do, hopefully I'll get enough (start up funds) to see to that end.
I was saying why did Elon post this? Then I thought about Bill Gates new Netflix movie. ‘The future with Bill Gates’ as if he owns us. He’s a primary example of someone who’s a Second Hander. Even Galts gulch could be a true prediction is Mieli in Argentina and Bukele in El Salvador fix their countries. Ayn Rand knew communists. She warned us about there money machinations and how they can never have enough.
When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - When you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you - When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - You may know that your society is doomed.
-Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
In a broader sense, show and superficiality are the norms for everything today. Social media popularity, celebrity worship, non-existent educational standards, credentialism, participation trophies, self esteem based on external approval, spending/renting to project affluent image, DEI/conformity masquerading as diversity, and especially LGBTQ as normal. Everything revolves around external approval, not genuine achievement or accomplishment. Remember the vaxx and mask virtue signaling and how never before had it been so easy and effortless to be a hero.
This is at the heart of much of the mental illness epidemic today, especially in the younger generation. Everyone wants the magic pill for depression, anxiety, obesity, etc., but they don't want to do the work that is needed to truly fix it.
Yes! And isn't that the root of every despicable action? Not selfishness, but precisely the absence of a self. Look at them. The man who cheats and lies, but preserves a respectable front. He knows himself to be dishonest, but others think he's honest and he derives his self-respect from that, second-hand. The man who takes credit for an achievement which is not his own.
He knows himself to be mediocre, but he's great in the eyes of others. The frustrated wretch who professes love for the inferior and clings to those less endowed, in order to establish his own superiority by comparison. The man whose sole aim is to make money. Now I don't see anything evil in a desire to make money. But money is only a means to some end.
If a man wants it for a personal purpose--to invest in his industry, to create, to study, to travel, to enjoy luxury--he's completely moral. But the men who place money first go much beyond that. Personal luxury is a limited endeavor. What they want is ostentation: to show, to stun, to entertain, to impress others.
They're second-handers. Look at our so-called cultural endeavors. A lecturer who spouts some borrowed rehash of nothing at all that means nothing at all to him--and the people who listen and don't give a damn, but sit there in order to tell their friends that they have attended a lecture by a famous name. All second-handers.
That, precisely, is the deadliness of second-handers. They have no concern for facts, ideas, work. They're concerned only with people. They don't ask: 'Is this true?' They ask: 'Is this what others think is true?' Not to judge, but to repeat. Not to do, but to give the impression of doing. Not creation, but show. Not ability, but friendship. Not merit, but pull. What would happen to the world without those who do, think, work, produce? Those are the egotists. You don't think through another's brain and you don't work through another's hands. When you suspend your faculty of independent judgment, you suspend consciousness. To stop consciousness is to stop life. -Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead
This is how I see it every time some celebrity gets celebrated in here for posting stuff we've been saying for 8 years or better.
after MOASS, there's going to be a lot of rebuilding and work to do, I already know primarily what i'm going to do, hopefully I'll get enough (start up funds) to see to that end.
Ape Financial can take care of start ups
This needs more uptoots... seriously...
Yup.
I was saying why did Elon post this? Then I thought about Bill Gates new Netflix movie. ‘The future with Bill Gates’ as if he owns us. He’s a primary example of someone who’s a Second Hander. Even Galts gulch could be a true prediction is Mieli in Argentina and Bukele in El Salvador fix their countries. Ayn Rand knew communists. She warned us about there money machinations and how they can never have enough.
Another great quote:
When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - When you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you - When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - You may know that your society is doomed. -Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
In a broader sense, show and superficiality are the norms for everything today. Social media popularity, celebrity worship, non-existent educational standards, credentialism, participation trophies, self esteem based on external approval, spending/renting to project affluent image, DEI/conformity masquerading as diversity, and especially LGBTQ as normal. Everything revolves around external approval, not genuine achievement or accomplishment. Remember the vaxx and mask virtue signaling and how never before had it been so easy and effortless to be a hero.
This is at the heart of much of the mental illness epidemic today, especially in the younger generation. Everyone wants the magic pill for depression, anxiety, obesity, etc., but they don't want to do the work that is needed to truly fix it.
Sloppy seconds...