Why Objectivism?

Question: What is in this Objectivism for me?

Answer: Objectivism has offered different things to different people, usually based on what they were looking for at the time. It has provided spiritual inspiration, philosophic wisdom, intellectual stimulation, political advice, and more. Frequently it even has provided a blend of these values. However, there are two values that Objectivism offers that are of particular significance, not only because they are infrequently found elsewhere, but also because they involve fundamental issues that shape people's entire lives.

Objectivism holds that you are capable of understanding the world, seeking to guide you in acquiring knowledge and avoiding both the anxiety of radical skepticism and the fraud of dogmatic faith. You don't have to shrug your shoulders, resigning yourself by saying, "Who knows?" and giving up on the possibility of understanding anything because you've been told that "what's true for you isn't true for me" and "all knowledge is subjective." Yet the alternative isn't to blindly trust the preachings of some supposed authority. Instead, one can learn to reason and thereby attain a sense of earned confidence and genuine serenity.

Objectivism also holds that, for you, your own life is your most sacred value. Pride is not a cardinal sin, but a cardinal virtue. Self-effacing meekness and self-sacrificing humility are evils, not moral ideals. People ought to honor themselves, treating their deepest values as holy, and thereby working heroically to create and maintain those values. Objectivism aims to inspire you to do this, to validate its truth, and to offer guidance on how to accomplish it.

The first issue involves the essence of the Objectivist glorification of reason, of your ability to think. The second issue involves the essence of the Objectivist celebration of heroism, of your self-worth. Together they capture the fundamental essence of what Objectivism has to offer.

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