Ayn Rand Quote

[Jon Letendre]

Help, please.

Is this Ayn Rand? If so, when and to whom did she say or write this? Thank you in advance,

”Whatever you do, don’t doubt yourself because of others. That’s the only thing I want to impress upon you, as strongly as I can.”

[Peter]

Thanks to Michael.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Jon,

The quote is from a letter Ayn Rand wrote to Albert Mannheimer in 1946 (as published by the book of her letters, which, hopefully, is more or less correct).

Here is the entire letter as published, with the editor's comments at the beginning. I bolded the quote.

Quote

To Albert Mannheimer

AR uses the term "rationalist" here to mean an advocate of reason. In later writings she used the term in its technical, philosophical sense, meaning an advocate of the view (which she opposed) that knowledge is derived from mental content divorced from perception of physical reality. See her title essay in For the New Intellectual.

October 10, 1946

Albert darling:

I hope that you have remained a good rationalist—because if you have, you won't feel too badly about any of it. I've read some of the New York reviews [of your Broadway play, The Bees and the Flowers], and my feeling is: to hell with the bastards!

I know that it's hard to take, but I also know that it's not as hard as it might seem to lesser people. Since you're not one of the lesser people, I hope you have discovered already that it's not too damn important. And it shouldn't hurt you too much.

The only important thing is what you think of it yourself. If, according to your own best judgment, the critics were wrong (and I think they were)—then you should feel angry and disgusted, but nothing more than that. If you think that they were justified to any extent, if the play was not produced as you wanted or did not satisfy you when you saw it acted—then look at it as an experiment, as experience, and make your own conclusions about what was right or wrong. But make conclusions yourself, as you saw it—not because of what critics or anybody else has said.

Personally, I say it's a good play and I will say so no matter who disagrees. But you saw it acted—and you must not take my opinion, any more than anyone else's. Judge it for yourself.

If you are not sure of your own estimate of the production, then let it go honestly at that—that you're not sure, and that you'll decide in the future. But don't take the word of others.

There is only one thing which can be tragic and terribly wrong for you—and that is, if you were satisfied with the play and the production, to let yourself doubt your own judgment because of the opinions of others. That is the only permanent and fatal damage that the occasion can cause you—and it will be caused by yourself, not by anyone else. I hope you do understand and believe rationally that there is no escape from your own judgment, and no substitute for it, that it's the final, crucial one, the only one that counts.

Whatever you do, don't doubt yourself because of others. That's the only thing I want to impress upon you, as strongly as I can. Don't let secondhandedness make you suffer unnecessarily. If you don't let that happen, the rest is not too important. Of course, it's unpleasant—but that's all. It's just a practical disappointment for you—not a spiritual or artistic one. It means that you won't make as much money as you could have made, and that you won't get, for the moment, the prestige which you have a legitimate right to want. But what of that? You don't need money, and you have plenty of time ahead to get the prestige. It is only one of those chances which any writer has to take and be prepared for, before he starts his career. If you don't let it get inside you—it won't matter very much. I can tell you that from firsthand experience. I know.

I gathered from the reviews that you had a very successful opening night and that the audience roared with laughter. (I noticed how the bastards had to mention it, yet tried to cover themselves.) So I don't know what the fate of your play is now. If it is financially possible to keep it open and give a chance to word-of-mouth—I hope your producer will do it. If he can beat that dirty little gang of "Broadway intellectuals"—I wish he would.

If you don't feel like writing letters, don't, until later. If you can—I'd like to hear from you, at least a few words. I miss you, and I wish I could be with you right now.

All my love, darling—(and also, which is more important, all my philosophy—if you'll use it)

Michael

 

[Jon Letendre]

Thank you.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Incidentally, "The Bees and the Flowers" was co-written: Frederick Kohner and Albert Mannheimer.

Here is the description from Concord Theatricals:

THE BEES AND THE FLOWERS

Quote

DESCRIPTION

Produced in New York and made into the very successful musical motion picture, "Three Daring Daughters." Louise Morgan, chic Park Avenue matron and divorcee, returns from a trip to Mexico with a husband and a problem. She must break the news to her three girls who are romantically attached to their foreign-correspondent father. He had deserted the family, but nevertheless remains a symbol of glamor for the girls. Tack Cooper, Louise's husband, attempts to cooperate by "getting on the good side" of the girls before the news is revealed. But the girls suspect him of dark and ulterior motives. Tess. the eldest, decides that only by winning him away from her mother can she save her mother from this interloper! One by one, the children learn that Tack is the new head of the house. How they take it, and what ensues, is a family "earthquake" which shakes up the Morgans considerably.

If anyone is interested, here is the Wikipedia entry for the 1948 movie: Three Daring Daughters. Since the play made it to movie production (and was turned into a musical at that), the play was not the total flop one might presume from Rand's letter. Both Frederick Kohner and Albert Mannheimer were the screenwriters, but two others were added: Sonya Levien and John Meehan. That's four screenwriters for one movie.

Fun fact about Mannheimer, who wrote other plays and screenplays. He wrote a few episodes of the TV show, "Gidget."

Michael