Hey there...

[captainatlas]

Hello, there my name is Jacob Alderman, I'm kind of new to the whole Objectivist thing, and I thought that this was a good place to try and find out more about it. I'm 16 years of age, but I usually study things like Philosophy, sociology, and musical history in my free time (though my school doesn't have a class for philosophy unfortunately).

Hopefully I will have a splendid time here, and be able to learn more about this great philosophy.

[kiaer.ts]

Welcome, Jacob. I was 16 in 1984 when a fellow high school student with whom I had used to be friends walked up to me and dropped The Virtue of Selfishness on my desk, saying "Here, you'll like this." Nicest mean thing anyone's ever done for me. How did you find out about Objectivism?

[captainatlas]

Welcome, Jacob. I was 16 in 1984 when a fellow high school student with whom I had used to be friends walked up to me and dropped The Virtue of Selfishness on my desk, saying "Here, you'll like this." Nicest mean thing anyone's ever done for me. How did you find out about Objectivism?

My brother had read "Anthem" and he loved the book, so he started to look up other things by Ayn Rand, and basically pulled me into it with him, and I have been hooked ever since. Though it is hard to find copies Ayn Rand's non-fiction books, but I am currently reading "Atlas Shrugged" and so far I am really enjoying it.

[Brant Gaede]

Welcome, Jacob. I was 16 in 1984 when a fellow high school student with whom I had used to be friends walked up to me and dropped The Virtue of Selfishness on my desk, saying "Here, you'll like this." Nicest mean thing anyone's ever done for me. How did you find out about Objectivism?

I like the story, Ted. I can see it used in a novel. I think I might end up stealing it from you someday.

--Brant

[Selene]

Welcome Jacob:

My closest friend, we were both only children so we were brothers living in separate houses lol.

On the way to H.S. when we were 14 he told me about this great book he just read and that I would love it and he handed me Atlas Shrugged - that was 1960 and I have not looked back since.

I am surprised you are having trouble acquiring her non-fiction books. I live just outside NY City, out of curiosity, where do you live?

Also, I wondered why you have a hyphenated name?

This is an excellent forum to belong to.

Finally, since your high school does not have a philosophy class, why don't you start a philosophy club or a rhetoric club to discuss ideas.

Again welcome.

Adam

[Brant Gaede]

Oh, yes, greatings and greetings to you young man.

--Brant

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Jacob,

Welcome aboard. I hope you have a good time here.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Jacob; Welcome to OL. It's always nice to have new blood and a new face.

Edited January 7, 2009 by Chris Grieb

[galtgulch]

Hello, there my name is Jacob Alderman, I'm kind of new to the whole Objectivist thing, and I thought that this was a good place to try and find out more about it. I'm 16 years of age, but I usually study things like Philosophy, sociology, and musical history in my free time (though my school doesn't have a class for philosophy unfortunately).

Hopefully I will have a splendid time here, and be able to learn more about this great philosophy.

Jacob,

Most of us wish we had encountered Objectivism and the works of Ayn Rand when we were your age. Atlas Shrugged was recommended to me when I was in residency at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn.

There are a couple of sources of Ayn Rand's books at www.aynrand.org (see bookstore then download print catalog. be prepared to be overwhelmed) and www.atlassociety.com in their bookstores.

I imagine you would also find them at www.amazon.com

You will discover that the essays in The Virtue of Selfishness and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal originally appeared in The Objectivist Newsletter 1962-65 so you might be hesitant to buy that. There are enough additional essays and book reviews and "intellectual ammunition" in TON to make it a worthwhile investment.

Welcome to our forums.

I also encourage you to take a peek at www.campaignforliberty.com where mostly Ron Paul supporters are trying to save the country. Ron Paul is decidedly not an Objectivist, but he did recommend Atlas Shrugged "with serious reservations" I suppose because he is religious and Ayn Rand is not. Ron Paul also endorsed the Young Americans for Liberty based on his high school ansd college campus supporters during his campaign. www.YALiberty.org Might be interesting to meet some of them and share ideas. I would be interested to know if you find out how like minded any of them are, especially if they are open to Ayn Rand's thoughts or not.

gulch

Edited January 8, 2009 by galtgulch

[Alfonso Jones]

Jacob -

Welcome to OL.

I am confident you will enjoy yourself here, and find it a good place to learn.

I assume you have read Rand's two most famous fiction works - The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I would suggest picking up the paperbacks: Virtue of Selfishness and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. Especially the former. Both are easy to pick up in cheap paperback editions, and will repay a careful study.

Bill P

[kiaer.ts]

Yes, I started with VoS and Capitalism which I read in the first week.

I would suggest that Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, Romantic Manifesto, Art of Fiction and Art of Nonfiction will pay the most dividends outside ethics and politics. ItOE is difficult, and you should not expect to get it all in full on the first reading. If you read it again after a few months it will make a lot more sense.

i suggest you search the stock of Powell's Books and ABEBooks.com to buy used copies cheap on line.

Oh and Brant, that story is absolutely nothing compared to what I can tell. My life is often too much like a novel, a Chinese curse.

[captainatlas]

Welcome Jacob:

My closest friend, we were both only children so we were brothers living in separate houses lol.

On the way to H.S. when we were 14 he told me about this great book he just read and that I would love it and he handed me Atlas Shrugged - that was 1960 and I have not looked back since.

I am surprised you are having trouble acquiring her non-fiction books. I live just outside NY City, out of curiosity, where do you live?

Also, I wondered why you have a hyphenated name?

This is an excellent forum to belong to.

Finally, since your high school does not have a philosophy class, why don't you start a philosophy club or a rhetoric club to discuss ideas.

Again welcome.

Adam

I live in Minnesota and it sucks for the most part. There are a lot of marxists here, in fact last year I had a pro-communist teacher.

My name is hyphenated, because my mother was divorced and got married. I didn't want to get rid of my last name at the time so we just added to it.

I would love to start a philosophy club, but the reason m,y school doesn't have a philosophy class is because people kept failing it when they did. I will definitely try, but I don't suggest a big turn out. Though I guess nothing is gained if nothing is worked for.

I am very thankful for all the welcomes, they always make me feel less awwkard about joining new forums.

Oh, and I would like to say if I dissappear after a while, it is because the cable guy takes forever to get to my house...I haven't had internet in my house for about a week haha.

Edited January 8, 2009 by Jacob Miller-alderman

[Selene]

Jacob:

Excellent.

Actually, I thought there was a divorce sub-story, as I am a divorce and family mediator who was instrumental in getting the Presumptive Shared Parenting Bill introduced in the NY State Assembly and Senate.

In terms of starting with a small group, Lenin had seven in the room. Rand's "Collective" had a handful of about 10, but Barbara would know the exact amount.

Plato had Aristotle as a student.

Our own "Committees of Correspondence" in the American Revolution were small groups of dedicated folks.

Can you get two people to form the "club" with you? If so, go for it!

Geez, Minnesota! I will share one story with you - when I was 18, we were heavily involved in the Goldwater movement and I, living in Queens County in NY City was in a left wing socialist community.

I started at Queens College when I was 16 as a Randian that was already talking about Goldwater as a Presidential candidate.

This was 1962, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam beginning to clearly snowball despite General Mac Arthur's warnings of ever getting into a ground war in Asia.

I had overtly Communist teachers also and I was told by folks who had "my best interests at heart" and they told me not to even respectfully argue with certain teachers because they would give you bad grades and screw up your potential of getting into Veterinary School.

My chosen paths, at that time, were going to be either Veterinary medicine or Law school. However, whichever path I was going to choose, politics was going to be involved.

At any rate, I chose to confront each and every teacher assertively and aggressively and yes their were those who gave me punishment grades, but I knew I did what I knew was right.

Stay the course, Jacob, there is life after Minnesota.

Adam

[captainatlas]

Jacob:

Excellent.

Actually, I thought there was a divorce sub-story, as I am a divorce and family mediator who was instrumental in getting the Presumptive Shared Parenting Bill introduced in the NY State Assembly and Senate.

In terms of starting with a small group, Lenin had seven in the room. Rand's "Collective" had a handful of about 10, but Barbara would know the exact amount.

Plato had Aristotle as a student.

Our own "Committees of Correspondence" in the American Revolution were small groups of dedicated folks.

Can you get two people to form the "club" with you? If so, go for it!

Geez, Minnesota! I will share one story with you - when I was 18, we were heavily involved in the Goldwater movement and I, living in Queens County in NY City was in a left wing socialist community.

I started at Queens College when I was 16 as a Randian that was already talking about Goldwater as a Presidential candidate.

This was 1962, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam beginning to clearly snowball despite General Mac Arthur's warnings of ever getting into a ground war in Asia.

I had overtly Communist teachers also and I was told by folks who had "my best interests at heart" and they told me not to even respectfully argue with certain teachers because they would give you bad grades and screw up your potential of getting into Veterinary School.

My chosen paths, at that time, were going to be either Veterinary medicine or Law school. However, whichever path I was going to choose, politics was going to be involved.

At any rate, I chose to confront each and every teacher assertively and aggressively and yes their were those who gave me punishment grades, but I knew I did what I knew was right.

Stay the course, Jacob, there is life after Minnesota.

Adam

Thanks Adam, it must have been hard growing up in an area like that. When I found Objectivism for the first time, it opened my eyes so much, and I realized just how much potential there was in the world. I had always had a dislike for collective type of ideology, but because of objectivism, I found the words I have always been looking for. I even had used it to make a great anology today lol

[Chris Grieb]

Jacob:

Excellent.

Actually, I thought there was a divorce sub-story, as I am a divorce and family mediator who was instrumental in getting the Presumptive Shared Parenting Bill introduced in the NY State Assembly and Senate.

In terms of starting with a small group, Lenin had seven in the room. Rand's "Collective" had a handful of about 10, but Barbara would know the exact amount.

Plato had Aristotle as a student.

Our own "Committees of Correspondence" in the American Revolution were small groups of dedicated folks.

Can you get two people to form the "club" with you? If so, go for it!

Geez, Minnesota! I will share one story with you - when I was 18, we were heavily involved in the Goldwater movement and I, living in Queens County in NY City was in a left wing socialist community.

I started at Queens College when I was 16 as a Randian that was already talking about Goldwater as a Presidential candidate.

This was 1962, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam beginning to clearly snowball despite General Mac Arthur's warnings of ever getting into a ground war in Asia.

I had overtly Communist teachers also and I was told by folks who had "my best interests at heart" and they told me not to even respectfully argue with certain teachers because they would give you bad grades and screw up your potential of getting into Veterinary School.

My chosen paths, at that time, were going to be either Veterinary medicine or Law school. However, whichever path I was going to choose, politics was going to be involved.

At any rate, I chose to confront each and every teacher assertively and aggressively and yes their were those who gave me punishment grades, but I knew I did what I knew was right.

Stay the course, Jacob, there is life after Minnesota.

Adam

Thanks Adam, it must have been hard growing up in an area like that. When I found Objectivism for the first time, it opened my eyes so much, and I realized just how much potential there was in the world. I had always had a dislike for collective type of ideology, but because of objectivism, I found the words I have always been looking for. I even had used it to make a great anology today lol

Jacob; I think the best line about your stituation is Ayn Rand's statement about those who fight for a new renaissance live in one today. The line is in "The Romantic Manifesto".