Frank's Niece!

[Cathy]

I've been reading this thread with interest.

Cathy, my sister an I were "in the system" in Ohio for 2+ years (mid 50's) after our mother committed suicide. "The State" took custody of us kids because our father was in the military. My father was finally able to talk his brother in California into taking custody of us, the only way the state of Ohio would relinquish custody. It was hell. We were in an orphanage, then several foster homes. Since then I've always said and believed dogs in kennels are treated better and loved more than children in a state system. Much of my contempt for govt workers stems from that early experience with those "caretakers". Some of them truly hate the kids they take care of. Mostly the kids are a bit messed up from the circumstances which put them there, but the "workers" just want their paycheck and don't want any difficulties thank you very much. I ran away several times starting at six years old. Always some do gooder would call the cops and they'd drag me back. I just wanted to find my dad. Once they get their hands on you you're pretty much screwed. Nobody listens to kids, hell they don't even ask what you think, what you want, where you want to go. No power, no voice. Hell of a way to raise a human being. Ayn Rand was right, on everything. Thank you very much for illuminating another part of her life, I think you were very dear to her. But she was trying to save the world, as much as she didn't believe in altruism. She really believed in human beings, their potential, their goodness and their abilities. I cried when she died.

Mikee, you said that much better than I ever could! Nobody knows until they walk a mile in your shoes. This may sound stupid...but I feel better now, between Ginny and you going through the same things as we did. I don't feel so much of an outcast. I hope with your uncle you and your sister had some type of normal life growing up. Thank you for telling me you thought we were dear to her, and maybe we were in her own way. I really am happy that so many people loved her...and I cried to...but it was for all the dead memories. Thank you so much Mikee! ~Cathy~ I am so sorry about your mother

[Cathy]

Cathy,

Do you know the official marriage date of your father and step-mother?

This would help with the logistics of visits when/where and the plausibility in terms of what's known of dates in Rand's life.

Ellen

Ellen, I am going to Ohio in July, I will go to the court house and try to find it. Marna believes they never got married. I find that hard to believe knowing my father. But yes it would help. I tired last night to know the dates...remembering about how old we were. I Believe I've narrowed it down to...1963-65...1967. We were in Arizona in 1966.This is what I remember so far and there probably were more visits before 1963 but I would be to young to remember. I will see what I can do about the marriage license. ~Cathy~

[Cathy]

Don't read it.

I stopped reading it after several posts but it's been at or near the top of the thread list for several weeks. I don't mean to rain on any ones parade. It just sounds like a never-ending, insignificant, soap opera imo. To each his own.

You know you can stop reading it anytime you want...don't you??? ~Cathy~

[caroljane]

LV, if you do not realize the essentiality of soap opera, serial drama and storytelling in the life of the mind and spirit, I feel sorry for you! .And true life stories are always most interesting

[Cathy]

I need a question answered. I read that an objectivist can not be a Christian...why? ~Cathy~

[Selene]

I need a question answered. I read that an objectivist can not be a Christian...why? ~Cathy~

Objectivism, Big "O" "objectivism" is rigidly an atheist philosophy.

However, there are several offshoots that have found that they, as Christians, can be "o"jectivists.

There is a current thread on it right now on OL.

The Soul of Atlas- Ayn Rand, Christianity, a Quest for Co...

Mark82Arp started it, I believe today.

A...

[Cathy]

I've been reading this thread with interest.

Cathy, my sister an I were "in the system" in Ohio for 2+ years (mid 50's) after our mother committed suicide. "The State" took custody of us kids because our father was in the military. My father was finally able to talk his brother in California into taking custody of us, the only way the state of Ohio would relinquish custody. It was hell. We were in an orphanage, then several foster homes. Since then I've always said and believed dogs in kennels are treated better and loved more than children in a state system. Much of my contempt for govt workers stems from that early experience with those "caretakers". Some of them truly hate the kids they take care of. Mostly the kids are a bit messed up from the circumstances which put them there, but the "workers" just want their paycheck and don't want any difficulties thank you very much. I ran away several times starting at six years old. Always some do gooder would call the cops and they'd drag me back. I just wanted to find my dad. Once they get their hands on you you're pretty much screwed. Nobody listens to kids, hell they don't even ask what you think, what you want, where you want to go. No power, no voice. Hell of a way to raise a human being. Ayn Rand was right, on everything. Thank you very much for illuminating another part of her life, I think you were very dear to her. But she was trying to save the world, as much as she didn't believe in altruism. She really believed in human beings, their potential, their goodness and their abilities. I cried when she died.

Mikee, you said that much better than I ever could! Nobody knows until they walk a mile in your shoes. This may sound stupid...but I feel better now, between Ginny and you going through the same things as we did. I don't feel so much of an outcast. I hope with your uncle you and your sister had some type of normal life growing up. Thank you for telling me you thought we were dear to her, and maybe we were in her own way. I really am happy that so many people loved her...and I cried to...but it was for all the dead memories. Thank you so much Mikee! ~Cathy~ I am so sorry about your mother

Mikee, since I have read this, that is all I've thought about. I don't know why when a child is born their little lives just cant be perfect. There are to many children in the world that suffer that never asked to be born or born to whom they were born to. I hope you and your sister got to be together through your ordeal. My sister and I were split up, it made me stronger, but made her weaker. I couldn't imagine my mother committing suicide, that had to be just horrible for you and your sister. I hope the rest of your life was happy and peaceful to make up for the years of struggling and suffering you went through as a child. ~Cathy~

[Cathy]

I need a question answered. I read that an objectivist can not be a Christian...why? ~Cathy~

Objectivism, Big "O" "objectivism" is rigidly an atheist philosophy.

However, there are several offshoots that have found that they, as Christians, can be "o"jectivists.

There is a current thread on it right now on OL.

A...

Thank you Selene, I will look for it ~Cathy~

[Brant Gaede]

I need a question answered. I read that an objectivist can not be a Christian...why? ~Cathy~

Objectivism, Big "O" "objectivism" is rigidly an atheist philosophy.

However, there are several offshoots that have found that they, as Christians, can be "o"jectivists.

There is a current thread on it right now on OL.

A...

Thank you Selene, I will look for it ~Cathy~

You can call yourself whatever you want whoever or whatever you are.

--Brant

[ginny]

True. I have never once called myself an Objectivist. No reasonable person needs a label. Most people here feel the same. There are any number of Christians on this site.

Funny, but even Peikoff seems to sort of agree. According to his daughter, she wanted a Bar Mizva (not responsible for spelling) when she was 13. Her father said sure, but she'd have to sit through one entire Temple service. She was bored to death and wanted no more. No Bar Mizva for the girl. He seemed pretty reasonable about it.

[Brant Gaede]

Wiki says Bat Mitzvah for girls and usually at age 12 (13 for boys).

--Brant

[BaalChatzaf]

Wiki says Bat Mitzvah for girls and usually at age 12 (13 for boys).

--Brant

Correct. That is the custom.

[Cathy]

I would really appreciate anyone who could help me learn about objectivism. I read all I can and just get more and more confused ~Cathy~

[ginny]

You can send me private messages. I'm glad you at least want to know what it's about. That cool.

[Brant Gaede]

I would really appreciate anyone who could help me learn about objectivism. I read all I can and just get more and more confused ~Cathy~

Qua Objectivism think that man needs philosophy for he is the thinking, free-willed animal. This philosophy guides him through his thinking and choice making. The morality is rational self-interest; it centers on one's self.

There are four basic principles: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics--or reality, reason, self interest, and individual rights (capitalism, freedom). These are all interlocked, one logically leading to the next. The key and bridge one to the next is individualism. This refers to one man, one brain, one thought--there is no group think. Now, the supremacy of reality and reason is shared with science. The morality of rational self-interest doesn't deny that man is a social animal only states what is basic, which is first he is an individual animal with the need for freedom to thrive, produce and mate and achieve optimal happiness thereby.

When reading about Objectivism merely categorize the material under one of the four principles and see how they integrate one principle to the next.

Objectivism has two basic aspects. (1) Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand which is, say, 85% cultural and 15% intellectual (the percentages can greatly vary and are not important as such) and Objectivism which is 100% intellectual. She presented her philosophy from her view of the ideal man and his needs and the notion of the impotence of evil. While evil is indeed impotent per se, you cannot rend the possibility of evil out of any man the way she did her heroic, fictional characters. ("Man," BTW, is the over-riding concept shared by both sexes.) It is #1 that is difficult to master. The only one to do so I know of was Nathaniel Branden. Leonard Peikoff after 40 (50? 60?) years of study still fell short, falls short. I am referring to the Objectivist (Ayn Rand) catechism. My Objectivism is #2 and the (my) cultural self-automatic, just like Rand but with quite different results. Ayn Rand's mastery of Objectivism was intellectual and a bunch of her opinions (cultural). Mastering her Objectivism means you need the obsessive brilliance of Nathaniel Branden and to share her bed--not possible for a female. Then she'll announce to the world--she can't; she's dead--you are the master (and hers). (This spills over into her views of the sexes, masculinity and femininity and why a woman is unfit to be President of the United States.)

--Brant

[Cathy]

I would really appreciate anyone who could help me learn about objectivism. I read all I can and just get more and more confused ~Cathy~

Qua Objectivism think that man needs philosophy for he is the thinking, free-willed animal. This philosophy guides him through his thinking and choice making. The morality is rational self-interest; it centers on one's self.

There are four basic principles: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics--or reality, reason, self interest, and individual rights (capitalism, freedom). These are all interlocked, one logically leading to the next. The key and bridge one to the next is individualism. This refers to one man, one brain, one thought--there is no group think. Now, the supremacy of reality and reason is shared with science. The morality of rational self-interest doesn't deny that man is a social animal only states what is basic, which is first he is an individual animal with the need for freedom to thrive, produce and mate and achieve optimal happiness thereby.

When reading about Objectivism merely categorize the material under one of the four principles and see how they integrate one principle to the next.

Objectivism has two basic aspects. (1) Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand which is, say, 85% cultural and 15% intellectual (the percentages can greatly vary and are not important as such) and Objectivism which is 100% intellectual. She presented her philosophy from her view of the ideal man and his needs and the notion of the impotence of evil. While evil is indeed impotent per se, you cannot rend the possibility of evil out of any man the way she did her heroic, fictional characters. ("Man," BTW, is the over-riding concept shared by both sexes.) It is #1 that is difficult to master. The only one to do so I know of was Nathaniel Branden. Leonard Peikoff after 40 (50? 60?) years of study still fell short, falls short. I am referring to the Objectivist (Ayn Rand) catechism. My Objectivism is #2 and the (my) cultural self-automatic, just like Rand but with quite different results. Ayn Rand's mastery of Objectivism was intellectual and a bunch of her opinions (cultural). Mastering her Objectivism means you need the obsessive brilliance of Nathaniel Branden and to share her bed--not possible for a female. Then she'll announce to the world--she can't; she's dead--you are the master (and hers). (This spills over into her views of the sexes, masculinity and femininity and why a woman is unfit to be President of the United States.)

--Brant

Ok Brant...lets see if I got this right.

PHOLOSPHY: school of thought. general studies of reality, existence, mind, and language.

METAPHYSIC: understanding existence, objects and their properties, space and time, cause and effect.

EPISTEMOLOGY: knowledge and understanding.

ETHICS: human morality- right vs wrong, good vs evil, virtue vs, vice, justice vs crime.

POLOTICS: organized (acceptable) control over a human community.

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

All of these equal to individualism. One individual with one brain, knowing what their existence means, knowing right from wrong, between good and evil, knowledge and understanding, what their own understanding means of government control and what their behaviors deal with cause and effect and their freedom to pursue their life and happiness. Am I getting it...or am I confusing you as much as I am confused LOL! ~Cathy~ BTW, I wonder if she would be more accepting of a woman president now a days....hmmmmm

[BaalChatzaf]

Qua Objectivism think that man needs philosophy for he is the thinking, free-willed animal. This philosophy guides him through his thinking and choice making. The morality is rational self-interest; it centers on one's self.

There is a dual principle at work. To center on one's self correctly one must comprehend the world, at least to the extent it affects one's well being.

Being in the right state: you with respect to the world and the world with respect to you.

The shoe not only fits the foot. The foot fits the shoe. And so on....

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Brant Gaede]

I would really appreciate anyone who could help me learn about objectivism. I read all I can and just get more and more confused ~Cathy~

Qua Objectivism think that man needs philosophy for he is the thinking, free-willed animal. This philosophy guides him through his thinking and choice making. The morality is rational self-interest; it centers on one's self.

There are four basic principles: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics--or reality, reason, self interest, and individual rights (capitalism, freedom). These are all interlocked, one logically leading to the next. The key and bridge one to the next is individualism. This refers to one man, one brain, one thought--there is no group think. Now, the supremacy of reality and reason is shared with science. The morality of rational self-interest doesn't deny that man is a social animal only states what is basic, which is first he is an individual animal with the need for freedom to thrive, produce and mate and achieve optimal happiness thereby.

When reading about Objectivism merely categorize the material under one of the four principles and see how they integrate one principle to the next.

Objectivism has two basic aspects. (1) Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand which is, say, 85% cultural and 15% intellectual (the percentages can greatly vary and are not important as such) and Objectivism which is 100% intellectual. She presented her philosophy from her view of the ideal man and his needs and the notion of the impotence of evil. While evil is indeed impotent per se, you cannot rend the possibility of evil out of any man the way she did her heroic, fictional characters. ("Man," BTW, is the over-riding concept shared by both sexes.) It is #1 that is difficult to master. The only one to do so I know of was Nathaniel Branden. Leonard Peikoff after 40 (50? 60?) years of study still fell short, falls short. I am referring to the Objectivist (Ayn Rand) catechism. My Objectivism is #2 and the (my) cultural self-automatic, just like Rand but with quite different results. Ayn Rand's mastery of Objectivism was intellectual and a bunch of her opinions (cultural). Mastering her Objectivism means you need the obsessive brilliance of Nathaniel Branden and to share her bed--not possible for a female. Then she'll announce to the world--she can't; she's dead--you are the master (and hers). (This spills over into her views of the sexes, masculinity and femininity and why a woman is unfit to be President of the United States.)

--Brant

Ok Brant...lets see if I got this right.

PHOLOSPHY: school of thought. general studies of reality, existence, mind, and language.

METAPHYSIC: understanding existence, objects and their properties, space and time, cause and effect.

EPISTEMOLOGY: knowledge and understanding.

ETHICS: human morality- right vs wrong, good vs evil, virtue vs, vice, justice vs crime.

POLOTICS: organized (acceptable) control over a human community.

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

All of these equal to individualism. One individual with one brain, knowing what their existence means, knowing right from wrong, between good and evil, knowledge and understanding, what their own understanding means of government control and what their behaviors deal with cause and effect and their freedom to pursue their life and happiness. Am I getting it...or am I confusing you as much as I am confused LOL! ~Cathy~ BTW, I wonder if she would be more accepting of a woman president now a days....hmmmmm

Not bad, but politics and individual rights are in the same category re Objectivism.

--Brant

throw her in the swimming pool: if she floats she's a witch (burn her); if she sinks she's innocent; God will sort it out regardless (you floated)

[caroljane]

I would really appreciate anyone who could help me learn about objectivism. I read all I can and just get more and more confused ~Cathy~

Qua Objectivism think that man needs philosophy for he is the thinking, free-willed animal. This philosophy guides him through his thinking and choice making. The morality is rational self-interest; it centers on one's self.

There are four basic principles: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics--or reality, reason, self interest, and individual rights (capitalism, freedom). These are all interlocked, one logically leading to the next. The key and bridge one to the next is individualism. This refers to one man, one brain, one thought--there is no group think. Now, the supremacy of reality and reason is shared with science. The morality of rational self-interest doesn't deny that man is a social animal only states what is basic, which is first he is an individual animal with the need for freedom to thrive, produce and mate and achieve optimal happiness thereby.

When reading about Objectivism merely categorize the material under one of the four principles and see how they integrate one principle to the next.

Objectivism has two basic aspects. (1) Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand which is, say, 85% cultural and 15% intellectual (the percentages can greatly vary and are not important as such) and Objectivism which is 100% intellectual. She presented her philosophy from her view of the ideal man and his needs and the notion of the impotence of evil. While evil is indeed impotent per se, you cannot rend the possibility of evil out of any man the way she did her heroic, fictional characters. ("Man," BTW, is the over-riding concept shared by both sexes.) It is #1 that is difficult to master. The only one to do so I know of was Nathaniel Branden. Leonard Peikoff after 40 (50? 60?) years of study still fell short, falls short. I am referring to the Objectivist (Ayn Rand) catechism. My Objectivism is #2 and the (my) cultural self-automatic, just like Rand but with quite different results. Ayn Rand's mastery of Objectivism was intellectual and a bunch of her opinions (cultural). Mastering her Objectivism means you need the obsessive brilliance of Nathaniel Branden and to share her bed--not possible for a female. Then she'll announce to the world--she can't; she's dead--you are the master (and hers). (This spills over into her views of the sexes, masculinity and femininity and why a woman is unfit to be President of the United States.)

--Brant

Ok Brant...lets see if I got this right.

PHOLOSPHY: school of thought. general studies of reality, existence, mind, and language.

METAPHYSIC: understanding existence, objects and their properties, space and time, cause and effect.

EPISTEMOLOGY: knowledge and understanding.

ETHICS: human morality- right vs wrong, good vs evil, virtue vs, vice, justice vs crime.

POLOTICS: organized (acceptable) control over a human community.

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

All of these equal to individualism. One individual with one brain, knowing what their existence means, knowing right from wrong, between good and evil, knowledge and understanding, what their own understanding means of government control and what their behaviors deal with cause and effect and their freedom to pursue their life and happiness. Am I getting it...or am I confusing you as much as I am confused LOL! ~Cathy~ BTW, I wonder if she would be more accepting of a woman president now a days....hmmmmm

Not bad, but politics and individual rights are in the same category re Objectivism.

--Brant

throw her in the swimming pool: if she floats she's a witch (burn her); if she sinks she's innocent; God will sort it out regardless (you floated)

Brant,

You were standing on the riverbank with a long stick to fish her out and lead her home safe through the woods.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Slight correction:

Philosophy: The study of the fundamental nature and principles of reality.

Michael

[Cathy]

I would really appreciate anyone who could help me learn about objectivism. I read all I can and just get more and more confused ~Cathy~

Qua Objectivism think that man needs philosophy for he is the thinking, free-willed animal. This philosophy guides him through his thinking and choice making. The morality is rational self-interest; it centers on one's self.

There are four basic principles: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics--or reality, reason, self interest, and individual rights (capitalism, freedom). These are all interlocked, one logically leading to the next. The key and bridge one to the next is individualism. This refers to one man, one brain, one thought--there is no group think. Now, the supremacy of reality and reason is shared with science. The morality of rational self-interest doesn't deny that man is a social animal only states what is basic, which is first he is an individual animal with the need for freedom to thrive, produce and mate and achieve optimal happiness thereby.

When reading about Objectivism merely categorize the material under one of the four principles and see how they integrate one principle to the next.

Objectivism has two basic aspects. (1) Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand which is, say, 85% cultural and 15% intellectual (the percentages can greatly vary and are not important as such) and Objectivism which is 100% intellectual. She presented her philosophy from her view of the ideal man and his needs and the notion of the impotence of evil. While evil is indeed impotent per se, you cannot rend the possibility of evil out of any man the way she did her heroic, fictional characters. ("Man," BTW, is the over-riding concept shared by both sexes.) It is #1 that is difficult to master. The only one to do so I know of was Nathaniel Branden. Leonard Peikoff after 40 (50? 60?) years of study still fell short, falls short. I am referring to the Objectivist (Ayn Rand) catechism. My Objectivism is #2 and the (my) cultural self-automatic, just like Rand but with quite different results. Ayn Rand's mastery of Objectivism was intellectual and a bunch of her opinions (cultural). Mastering her Objectivism means you need the obsessive brilliance of Nathaniel Branden and to share her bed--not possible for a female. Then she'll announce to the world--she can't; she's dead--you are the master (and hers). (This spills over into her views of the sexes, masculinity and femininity and why a woman is unfit to be President of the United States.)

--Brant

Ok Brant...lets see if I got this right.

PHOLOSPHY: school of thought. general studies of reality, existence, mind, and language.

METAPHYSIC: understanding existence, objects and their properties, space and time, cause and effect.

EPISTEMOLOGY: knowledge and understanding.

ETHICS: human morality- right vs wrong, good vs evil, virtue vs, vice, justice vs crime.

POLOTICS: organized (acceptable) control over a human community.

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

All of these equal to individualism. One individual with one brain, knowing what their existence means, knowing right from wrong, between good and evil, knowledge and understanding, what their own understanding means of government control and what their behaviors deal with cause and effect and their freedom to pursue their life and happiness. Am I getting it...or am I confusing you as much as I am confused LOL! ~Cathy~ BTW, I wonder if she would be more accepting of a woman president now a days....hmmmmm

Not bad, but politics and individual rights are in the same category re Objectivism.

--Brant

throw her in the swimming pool: if she floats she's a witch (burn her); if she sinks she's innocent; God will sort it out regardless (you floated)

Brant,

You were standing on the riverbank with a long stick to fish her out and lead her home safe through the woods.

Daunce...your a hopeless romantic aren't you we need more people like you in the world ~Cathy~

[Cathy]

Slight correction:

Philosophy: The study of the fundamental nature and principles of reality.

Michael

Thank you Michael. That definition is going to have to be broken down for me. What is fundament nature and what are the principals of reality? Sorry, haven't use my brain in sometime

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Cathy,

Reality for Rand exists independently of human perception, but for humans, we have to perceive it. This means the sense organs at the root.

Rand claims that when things like photons, sound waves, etc., hit the human body, they are sensations. Once we can distinguish these sensations and attribute them to some part of reality, they become percepts. Once percepts get grouped and integrated by the brain, they become concepts.

One of the difficulties of talking about metaphysics is that it has to be done at the conceptual level, and that is too high in abstractions for direct experience. This led Rand to formulate axiomatic concepts, which are expressed logically as what is called a tautology, but they need someone who is experiencing reality and aware of them to make sense. The three big ones (but not the only ones) are:

Existence exists.

Identity exists.

Consciousness exists.

These cannot be proven or disproven. They are the standards of proof.

One of the hallmarks of an axiomatic concept is that you have to use it as a state to presume the opposite and disprove it. In practice, this means you have to exist to proves existence doesn't exist. You have to be a specific person to prove there is no such thing as specific people. You have to be conscious to prove that consciousness is an illusion.

Based on that, her metaphysics consists if existence, identity and consciousness.

These are issues pertaining to the fundameantal nature of reality.

Then you go on to other areas of existence like epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics and there are fundametal things there, too.

(Whether God exists or not is also a fundamental question, so that, too, is philosophy.)

Hope that helps.

Michael

[Cathy]

Cathy,

Reality for Rand exists independently of human perception, but for humans, we have to perceive it. This means the sense organs at the root.

Rand claims that when things like photons, sound waves, etc., hit the human body, they are sensations. Once we can distinguish these sensations and attribute them to some part of reality, they become percepts. Once percepts get grouped and integrated by the brain, they become concepts.

One of the difficulties of talking about metaphysics is that it has to be done at the conceptual level, and that is too high in abstractions for direct experience. This led Rand to formulate axiomatic concepts, which are expressed logically as what is called a tautology, but they need someone who is experiencing reality and aware of them to make sense. The three big ones (but not the only ones) are:

Existence exists.

Identity exists.

Consciousness exists.

These cannot be proven or disproven. They are the standards of proof.

One of the hallmarks of an axiomatic concept is that you have to use it as a state to presume the opposite and disprove it. In practice, this means you have to exist to proves existence doesn't exist. You have to be a specific person to prove there is no such thing as specific people. You have to be conscious to prove that consciousness is an illusion.

Based on that, her metaphysics consists if existence, identity and consciousness.

These are issues pertaining to the fundameantal nature of reality.

Then you go on to other areas of existence like epistemology, ethics, politics and aesthetics and there are fundametal things there, too.

(Whether God exists or not is also a fundamental question, so that, too, is philosophy.)

Hope that helps.

Michael

Thank you Michael...yes, it might help once my eyes stop hurting from looking up every word I don't know in the dictionary I have a lot of learning to do...but I know there is no way I am ever gonna catch up to any of you...but Ill try Thx ~Cathy~

[Cathy]

Qua Objectivism think that man needs philosophy for he is the thinking, free-willed animal. This philosophy guides him through his thinking and choice making. The morality is rational self-interest; it centers on one's self.

There is a dual principle at work. To center on one's self correctly one must comprehend the world, at least to the extent it affects one's well being.

Being in the right state: you with respect to the world and the world with respect to you.

The shoe not only fits the foot. The foot fits the shoe. And so on....

Ba'al Chatzaf

Ba'al...I like that...if the foot fits the shoe ~Cathy~