If you’re not thinking independently, you’re not thinking

[Jody Gomez]

Angie-You looked perfect in the VS, and gw's wine was perfect for our evening. Our sordid sprees have continue. What should be our next target?

gw-When I found out you were from Texas, I almost had a soft spot for you, as my favorite football team is the Cowboys and one of my ultimate heroes is a true texan who could get you to whiifff at a 100 mph fastball, strike you out with a follow-up, knee-buckling curve ball, and at the age of 44, kick some 22-year-old-Robin-Ventura ass when the mound was charged(Mr. Nolan Ryan of course). But I'll tell you, I lost all respect. It WAS Ange who was wearing the Victoria's Secret items on our latest wine tasting, and if you can't tell her ass from mine, then you are more deplorable than I had suspected. And to top it all off: ice cubes in wine. I thought only my wife(who loves her whites) was capable of such an atrocity.

Edited September 8, 2006 by Jody Gomez

[gary williams]

Jody!

You're a Cowboys fan!

You're a Big Tex fan!!!!!!!

I love you and I want to have your baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gw

[CNA]

Jody, it looks like we've been busted, big time. Hell, I didn't know he had a camera. I thought you checked for that. Oh, man, I wonder what else he caught us doing on tape !!! Our next target....hmmm....not sure yet but will think of something really really evil and A LOT of FUN!!

Hey, you all suck. I like the sugary stuff. I like the dessert wines especially with strawberries in the bottom of the glass or strawberries dipped in chocolate. All of you and your reds and whites or whatever else you're chuggin' away at. Yeah, you're all a bunch of snobs with your heads stuck up your ass. ;)

[CNA]

And ohmigod, it looks like Gary's going both ways now and is actually a very very very big chick and not a dude. Man, I've had all kinds of surprises this week.

Jody, your cute butt is just too damn irrestistible even for the cock eyed hyena !!! You got any thongs in your collection?

[gary williams]

hehehehehehehehehe!!!!!!!!!!!

Jody knows I'm kidding!!!

I only want to have Nolan Ryan's baby!!!!

Note to self: Buy Strawberries!

gw

[gary williams]

I'm sorry that this thread has gotten off track.

In reading what Angie has written here and by getting to know her off site and knowing my own personal experiences and those of a few others, I can say that Ayn Rand is not necessary when it comes to being an Objectivist.

Now put away your matches. No need to build a bon fire in my honor. I'll explain.

Yes, it is AR's philosophy. Yes, it is her name for it. And, yes Ayn Rand and Objectivism are attached at the head.

But what is Objectivism? A philosophy? I'm sorry but the term philosophy does not have enough of a "definite" feel to it. Calling it a philosophy is to equate it somehow with other philosophies. Philosophy sounds to much like, possibility. There is nothing definite about a possibility. Calling it a philosophy makes it sound like just one of the alternatives at the "Golden Corral" buffet of philosophical possibilities.

If Objectivism is true, then it ceases to be a philosophy. It becomes a fact, it becomes a discription of reality.

I prefer the term, Proairesis. Proairesis is a new word I recently learned from a new friend. It is a strappingly strong Greek word. It roughly translates to "deliberate choice."

So, what is Objectivism to me?

Well first, recognize reality. Recognize that it is. It's out there. Just look. Accept reality as it is, no artificial fillers or preservatives added. No Yellow die #5.

Objectivism is the choice to make that recognition. Objectivism is the proairesis of recognizing reality and dealing with it. No evasion. No bullshit.

Now, what happens when someone comes along and recognizes reality and makes the choice not to evade it, but to embrace it. They recognize that you cannot have your cake and eat it too. They recognize that man is an end in himself. They recognize that wishing won't make it so. And, they recognize that they must have liberty or they will choose that whole death thing.

What happens when this person recognizes all of the above, yet has never heard of Ayn Rand or Objectivism? What are they? Are they an Objectivist?

What exactly is a person who thinks, acts and lives much like the heros of Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead, yet never knew that any of the heroes existed in any book.

What is a person, who at even at a very young age, comes to a shocking head on collision with reality and grabs hold and rides that pony for their entire life, using every principle that AR preached herself.

What do you call someone who did it all on their own?

By the standards of a lot of people here and in the O'ist community in general, it would not be "Objectivist." It cannot be Objectivist because AR is not involved. Because so many think that Ayn Rand invented the recognition of reality that Objectivism objectifies.

I love Ayn Rand.

But she is not the only human to come up with the principles of which she discribed and wrote about in her fiction and non-fiction books. She is not the only human to think these thoughts on their own. There are others. There will be others.

This is what Angie is trying to get across. She is one of the others. She is not trying to lessen the impact of Ayn Rand or even trying to equate herself with AR. She is simply saying, "I did it myself!"

She did it with her own mind, alone.

She used her own mind to recognize reality. She chose not to evade it, and by trial and error and a whole lot of introspective Q&A, she developed her own proper 'proairesis' for living.

So, do you call her an Objectivist?

Well, if you use the Trademark definition or you require a bow to the divine AR before mentioning the term, then no she is not.

But, if you are objective, and I mean truly objective, then you will recognize Angie as what she is. Use what ever nomenclature you wish. It really does not matter and no one gives a shit anyway!

I call her, Angie.

Firecracker.

Friend.

Objectivist.

One of the few.

gw

[Victor Pross]

Anybody can apply themselves voluntarily to reading and learning, picking up a fancy term or two, but not everybody can really apply themselves to thinking: thinking has to be kindled, as a fire is by draught, and kept going by some kind of interest. And there must be a purpose at the end of one’s thinking: living one’s life, for example, and searching for happiness, is a rather lofty goal. This is what Angie has done. She is a first-handed mind. She does not think in order to flash and showcase some large bombastic words or “intellectual credentials” for others to gawk at. She is just as much an Ayn Rand heroine as you could hope to read in literature. Does she run a rail road station like Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged? No. That’s only one particular concrete that the creative mind of Ayn Rand used to illustrate a strong, independent woman. It’s the wider principles behind Ayn Rand’s characters that we must focus on.

Angie is an Ayn Rand heroine --because she has used her mind to overcome obstacles—sometimes great and horrible obstacles—and she has succeed to the point that anybody’s respect should be commanded. She has used her mind entirely first-handedly in all of life’s quests—great and small.

Angie’s success is measured not by how much wealth she has amassed—although, of course, there is nothing wrong with that—but her wealth is that of an incredible spiritual, intellectual and emotional achievement. Ayn Rand spoke a great deal of “man-worship” but I am a little focused right now on “woman-worship” as a philosophical abstraction. Angie is a concrete example of where this should be bestowed.

Angie, you are beautiful…in every way a person should be.

Edited September 17, 2006 by Victor Pross

[CNA]

Victor, Honey, you're an absolute doll, so kind, so caring, so sweet, so loving. Thank you for what you said as it means a lot to me. It really does. I love you, Honey, and thank you.

Angie

Edited October 17, 2006 by CNA

[CNA]

Gary, also thank you so very much for your kind words and it does mean a lot to me as well. Yes, we've talked much offline and you've gotten to know me, my past, my present. It was very nice of you to say what you did here. I consider you my friend and I know you do as well. Again thank you

Angie

Edited October 17, 2006 by CNA

[CNA]

I also do want to apologize for my taking so long to respond and to say thank you as I appreciate everyone's responses to my article. It was very sweet of everyone. I'm just now finally going through the site as time permits and posting, wanting to catch up as I still have other posts I want to respond to or that I've said that I would respond to, except one post will be done in private more than likely. But again, I do apologize for my late response of appreciation for the posts put up.

Angie

[Victor Pross]

*For Angie* :clover:

In My Life

By John Lennon

There are places I remember

all my life, though some have changed.

Some forever, not for better.

And some have gone, and some remain.

All these places have their moments

with lovers and friends I still can't recall.

Some are dead and some are living.

In my life I love them all.

But of all these friends and lovers,

there is no one compares with you.

And these memories lose their meaning

when I think of love as something new.

Though I know I'll never ever lose affection

for people and things that went before,

I know I'll often stop and think about them.

In my life I love you more.

**

[CNA]

Honey, that was beautiful! :heart: You're too much for me but too much in a very good way. You're such an amazing catch and I gotcha !! I absolutely love how romantic you are. Thank you, pumpkin. :hug:

Edited October 19, 2006 by CNA

[Victor Pross]

http://www.objectivistliving.com/forums/in...p?showtopic=351 (Jenna's article)

I wanted to draw attention back to Angie’s inspired article relating her youthful exertion of independent thinking and her discovery of “self.” This is linked to another inspired article as written by Jenna. These two articles are examples of sovereign intellects, of two very different individuals who made an important discovery in personal autonomy.

I re-read these articles and found them so captivating that I wanted to share them with others who might have missed them.

Edited February 22, 2007 by Victor Pross