whoisdagny

All - I am SAFE AND SOUND! Thanks for everyone's concern! Luckily, I was in Thailand at the time (took some time off to get my Scuba diving certification!), and was just about to fly back to Bangladesh when notification came, canceling all the flights. I camped out in Bangkok for a few days until I was sure of local conditions. I've returned, and the city of Dhaka (where I'm based) hasn't been hit hard aside from power outages. However, conditions are really, really bad along the coast. BBC has continued to up the death-count, but locally, everyone's saying that the numbers will probably get to 15000, because 1) more and more bodies are being washed ashore daily, 2) rescue teams have yet to hit many of the smaller coastal locations, and 3) many of the poor here are homeless and live on a day-to-day basis; the speed of aid being sent cannot offset the affect of this storm on depleted food supplies to remote areas. Unfortunately, Bangladesh is just a horribly located country. No doubt that much of its poverty is brought on by the natural disasters that occur every few years, claiming 10,000-100,000 lives every time. galtgulch - In some ways, I think New York is one of the best places to grow up in. You get a perspective of *everything*, all centralized in one area. I always think that it's easy to point out a New Yorker after talking to him for a while. In terms of my BD experience, I'm planning to be here until mid December (coming up shortly!) - armed with new perspectives from my experience here, I thought I'd know exactly what I want to do after I return. Embarrassingly, it has had the opposite effect, and I foresee spending a bit of time reflecting on what the past half-year means to me, and how I want to redirect my life accordingly. Despite sounding quite clueless, I do have at least a laundry list of things I will never ever take for granted again after this experience. Ba'al Chatzaf - the frustration of your situation IS similar to mine. Although they are offering a compliment by commenting on your selflessness, it disappoints me that they see 'serving others' as something that is admirable. We should be motivated to do our work because we are enjoying it and reaping personal rewards, not because others are benefiting from our efforts. Those who do work for others at a cost to their own happiness should not be praised. Cheers to finding personal meaning to your job! - Jen

(I see that this is an old thread, but want to reply to it anyway) Kat - I have no qualms with Angelina Jolie's ability to play Dagny. What I am a bit uncomfortable with though, is the segment of movie-goers who will come to watch this movie not because of Atlas Shrugged, but because of their lingering identification with Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider/Mr. Mrs Smith, etc. I feel almost protective of the story from those who may have never even heard of the book and won't be able to grasp its depth. I've never before cared this much for the release of a movie!

I'm surprised no one has commented on his gestures - Can anyone explain what he is doing with his hands? I'm not familiar with what it's supposed to symbolize. Also, the ribcage makes the man look starved and a bit emaciated. I can't get over the uncomfortable sense that this statue's somehow depicting the weakness of man. Otherwise, I do appreciate the size of the statue - large enough to show 'grandness' but small enough for the human eye to take in its entirety while standing at a close range.

Michael - OL has been a breath of fresh air for me, thanks. I'm glad to see that you've had the ability to test and solidify your viewpoints in Brazil. Your point about seeing contradictions with what I read is a valid one. As a relative 'beginner,' I've been careful to not take in all of Ayn Rand's principles without testing and questioning them first in my own surroundings. I think that taking a firm stance on Objectivist principles without having a thorough and personal understanding of them is potentially dangerous. Like you said, being in Bangladesh is perhaps the best way to step out into unfamiliar surroundings to fully evaluate my take on Objectivism. Although after being in BD for 6 months, I'd say I'm still in the beginning phases of 'making peace' with questioning and keeping my own values against existing conditions here. In fact, I've underestimated how hard this can be, from several specific areas: the culture of 'giving to the poor' - both because it is a Muslim culture, and because it has been hit with enormous natural disasters every 2-3 years, the country's act of giving to those in need is everywhere. When walking in the overpopulated streets of Dhaka, the beggars, the physically handicapped, and the poor are everywhere (the rich don't walk in the streets). Given this, it is not only expected that beggars will come up to me for money, I am also expected to give to them. I don't see desperate expressions of need, but only looks of bewilderment when I refuse. And while all around me, almost everyone else in the streets is either strolling aimlessly, or lounging around on sidewalks. I can't get over my internal frustration with this scene, and unlike a temporary business trip, I am living here and encounter this as a daily routine. role of women - it has been particularly frustrating taking on a leadership role here while in a male-dominated work environment. While I do get some leeway as a foreigner, the gender difference is still very much prevalent. I'd say 99% of women that I do see in the offices are secretaries. They walk into rooms after men, and speak after men finish. While I recognize that it is a cultural difference, it has been hard understanding/balancing what I "should" do against my own values. What makes it even more difficult is that the women themselves do not feel oppressed, and probably think me a bit queer altruism as a standard - Altruism is not a topic that is questioned or talked about here. It is the way of life. Given this, things such as profit-driven businesses that don't actively fight poverty, or capitalistic ideas that don't have the poor's immediate interests in mind are denounced. Differing viewpoints, if any, are not publicly discussed. This may be one of the most depressing aspects for me - that people don't even find it a worthwhile topic to talk about. Of course, I had expected all of this before coming; my only surprise is in how hard it has been for me to personally adjust to these differences. I've spent my early childhood years in rural China, and also love backpacking through developing countries. But I've come to realize that it is in actually staying in an environment for an extended amount of time that your values are brought to the forefront to be tested. This is definitely a worthwhile experience for me, especially in the long run, I believe. In the meantime, I look forward to the refreshing articles and viewpoints here at OL! - Jen

Adam - always great to hear from a fellow New Yorker! Especially after being away for 6 months. Of the few books I brought along, my highlighted, underlined, and dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged was a must. You make a great point about the channeling of Objectivism through individuals. I've found that in discussions with groups, many feel almost uncomfortable with truly exploring Objectivism, and immediately default to what 'should' be the 'correct' answer/opinion. It's the whole 'group-think' mentality, that need to seek safety in the collective. I find it easier to have more intelligent, authentic conversations when discussing one-on-one. Nice to meet you!

Chris - I found a site that displays all the paintings/artists/timeperiods, hope this is helpful to you! http://www.maysstuff.com/womenid.htm Dragonfly - The music is played by Yo Yo Ma. He is truly incredible at the cello.

Hi everyone, I am an admirer of Ayn Rand's works, and am happy to have landed upon the OL forum. Thought I'd give a brief introduction here. I am from New York City, and work at a management consulting firm. Several years ago, I picked up a copy of the Fountainhead at a friend's recommendation, and finding that I couldn't put it down, I took off several days off of work to finish the entire book within a few days. At the time, I was in my early 20's and doing a lot of 'soul' searching; I found the Fountainhead inspirational in its exaltation of integrity and individual passion. Since then, I've become a fan and also read Anthem and Atlas Shrugged. Although I find it easy to apply Objectivism to most areas of my personal life, I often find it difficult to publicly discuss Objectivist ideas with others without quickly being written off as 'cruel' by others. My frustration is less in getting others' approval but more in not being able to share and talk about these ideals that I feel passionate about. Several months ago I decided to take a pay-cut to try a nonprofit consulting project in a developing country, out of curiosity and to get a different perspective of business environments in the emerging markets. Almost immediately, family/friends/colleagues showered me with praise for being so selfless as to sacrifice part of my salary to help the poor. This bothered me that everyone saw my decision as a big personal sacrifice, instead of what it is in reality - a chance for me to gain a different perspective, develop new skills, and quite frankly, receive marketable experience. I would not have 'sacrificed' my salary unless I was getting in return something of equal value. Despite my attempt to explain this to friends, they wrote it off as a twisted form of modesty. I'm wondering if others have had similar difficulties in being able to be vocal about Objectivism in their lives? Nice to meet you! Jen. PS - I'm now writing from Bangladesh, having gone through several monsoon floods, daily power outages, and a violent political curfew (several months ago). Definitely a once in a lifetime learning experience.