Small Town Heroes
by Ross Elliot
As objectivists we're spread pretty thinly on the ground. In the larger cities objectivists can meet and share each other's company and exchange ideas. But, despite the contact afforded by the internet, small town objectivists are often isolated and hungry for like-minded souls. This has the effect of making us clam-up, deny our true ethos, and make compromises just to enjoy some semblance of social interaction.
The big city boys and girls have population as their friend. They will be able to meet face to face and mind to mind, if not, ahem, body to body, with their philosophical buddies. But this also has a downside. There's nothing worse than finding constant agreement with, and vindication of, one's own views. We all need a challenge, and the cut and thrust of spirited argument sharpens our intellectual swords.
So, it's not all gloom and despair. The small-town objectivist can view his isolation as an opportunity to spread the word, offer alternatives to staid parochial viewpoints, to act as a subversive yet benevolent element. And, you may also find that small towns still stand upon the classical virtues of individual responsibility, tolerance and middle-class commonsense. Your backyard may be a more fertile garden of delights than you first thought.
Therefore, be kind to your fellows. Engage them with your knowledge and humour. Seek out minds that lean in the same directions as yours. Ferret out seekers of the truth and those that find mindless chatter disagreeable and frustrating. Enlighten your new acquaintances slowly, word by word, idea by shining idea. Disregard the failures, criticisms and ethical turpitude. Stand proud in your isolation and you may find that when you least expect it, another isolated soul becomes a new friend, nay, a new OBJECTIVIST!
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