| | Great article Marcus. I read this essay a few months ago, and loved this partial re-reading just as much as my first time through. Thanks.
The friction between the die-hard ARI folks and non-ARI objectivists, and the way each camp is presented by the other, has sincerely bothered me from the beginning of my self-Objectivist-ication crusade (that phrase should probably be stricken from my lexicon....hehe. Sorry :o). So I decided to find out for myself, to see it and experience it first-hand, and make my own decision.
I went to ARI's Objectivist Conference a few weeks ago in San Diego, without knowing a soul there. I wondered, would I see a lot of Randroidian clones, Objectivist prostheletizers, and people strutting around envisioning themselves the next Roark or Galt? It was as much a research mission for me as a learning experience (and, as it turned out, book-buying spree!). What I found was better than I could have hoped. Each lecturer, each attendee, each organizer and cashier-jockey was beautifully, refreshingly their own person. If asked, each may very well have said that Objectivism (with a capital O) is that set of premises, that philosophy, enunciated and propounded by Rand, in her own words, in her own time, without subsequent deletions, additions or modifications. That said, it was utterly obvious to me that each person (especially those who had been "living it" for a while) had their own take, their own way of integrating Objectivism into their lives, for their own ends, in their own way. There were a variety of personalities (some of which were frighteningly appealing to me, others that I respectfully clashed with), a variety of ways each person explained a given principle, issue, topic or problem, different ways of dressing, speaking, gesturing - people did what worked for them, and were totally open to being asked why, whether they had the answers or not.
In all, this was the happiest group of people I've ever been around; I felt like I could walk up to any one and, with the appropriate amount of respect and manners, level with any of them on any issue. And that's what I like about the SOLOist crowd too. On the whole, I'm exceedingly impressed with people's openness, civility, reason, fairness, non-big-headedness (I know we're all egoists at heart ;o), etc. For that reason, I enjoy being here, *and* I look forward to going to other ARI events, and taking classes from them this fall. For me, at least, ARI, SOLO, my campus club, and scattered friends who've never read Rand comprise (for me) a fluid community of like-minded, life-loving people that are fuel for my soul. Particulars on specific points may differ; specific points can be of varying importance to different people. Because my correctness on any given issue is subject to revision at any time, it's the constant of a common approach that allows me to continually value, appreciate, and interact with these (and you) people throughout my life.
This last is one of the most resounding points I hear in Rand's essay, and a compelling reason for me to believe that the boundaries different Objectivists put up around themselves (usually "us" and "them") are not a permanent concern, but more like a series of growing pains. And I'm one who loves to think past accute discomforts and plan the direction of my growth with a big fat smile on my face.
Katie
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