Ayn Rand: A sociopath's sociopath

Thrill to the philosophical brilliance of Objectivism, which can be boiled down to “a nice way of saying ‘being a selfish asshole.’” A philosophy exemplified in heroic novels where men are real men, and women look forward to being raped by them because they’re just So Alpha. And even though Rand’s novels are “supposed to be something you grow out of, like ska music or handjobs,” many captains of industry find her a lifelong inspiration, because sociopaths have to find a justification somewhere.

Over the past few years, I’ve found myself marveling that Ayn Rand is still a thing, a writer some (Et tu, Paul Ryan?) in positions of power hold up as representative of what America should be. Because evidently, being a selfish, self-absorbed, compassion-free asshole is something to be admired…at least according to devotees of Objectivism. I’ve read Rand’s novels, and I’m here to tell you that as a writer, I can’t understand what the fuss is about. Rand’s not much of a writer, and her philosophy is little more than a thinly supported argument for being an unreconstructed prick. ‘Course, if you’re a sociopath, and an argument could be made that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is every bit of that, Rand probably hits the sweet spot.

If you believe in a dog-eat-dog America, a place where everyone, regardless of birth, socioeconomic status, or health is expected to do for themselves, you’ll Rand’s Objectivism.

If you believe that everyone has equal opportunities to achieve success and that some simply choose not to, you probably quote Rand like some people quote Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert.

If you believe that compassion is for losers and Liberals, and the interests of the individual far surpass those of the collective, Ayn Rand’s your girl.

If you believe the social safety net only enables the weak, the lazy, and those wrapped in a victim mentality, Objectivism is your touchstone.

How we treat the vulnerable is how we define ourselves as a species.

• Russell Brand

Somewhere along the way, it became fashionable to wall ourselves off, to pretend the individual is primary and that the interests of the collective begin only where those of the individual leave off. We came to believe that compassion is for losers and Liberals, and that America can only become stronger when we leave those unable to do for themselves behind. The sick, the poor, and the elderly only drag America down, and enabling their continued existence only drains resources that could more constructively be used to create more wealth.

I’m not going to claim that this version of America is a new one, of course. Historically, Americans have always been selfish and self-absorbed. We’ve always looked out primarily for #1. Sure, there are always those bleeding-heart Liberals who insist on exercising compassion and selflessness…and they’re the ones living in studio apartments and driving old, beat-up Volvos station wagons with 175,000 miles on the odometer.

Man is always exploited through fear.

• Osho

While I try to remain optimistic and believe that Americans will finally see through the fear-mongering and disinformation and recognize it for what it is, my belief in our better angels takes a beating daily. Perhaps someday we’ll recognize that without the collective there would be no individuals. And maybe we’ll come to see that caring for others is really the best way to feed our own souls.

Perhaps…but first we need to stop elevating those who revere selfish assholes like Ayn Rand. Unfortunately, those are too often the ones motivated to seek political power in order to impose their will on the rest of us.