Greetings, comrades!

[wyattstorch42]

Hello. I'm Matt.

The first thing you should know about me is that I'm not very good with introductions.

Um. So.

When I was in eighth grade, I read George Orwell's 1984 and saw the fallacies of socialism for the first time. My family is very Democratic (in terms of the party) and leaning socialist, so I guess that whole political socialization thing worked on me--it was very difficult for me to make a transition. Even after I finished 1984, I figured that it didn't prove anything--that something like that would never happen, that everything would be fine because government has good intentions. And, after all, the "people's" best interests in that book weren't being upheld. It wasn't socialism! I thought.

So I promptly forgot about Mr. Orwell's novel and continued about my life. It wasn't until the last quarter of my sophomore year of high school that I picked up the earmarked copy of Atlas Shrugged at the school library. Oddly enough, I had decided to read it because it had served as the inspiration for the video game BioShock, which I thought was intriguing and cool. In a way, BioShock is a critique--it is the "Atlantis" of Atlas gone wrong. At the same time, I think it was derived out of appreciation for Miss Rand. Maybe I'm just an optimist.

So I became obsessed with the book for reasons unknown to me. I neglected homework; I neglected sleep; I neglected meals. I would sit through entire classes, craning my neck to read under the desk; many times teachers yelled at me for texting in my lap. It took me four days, I guess.

Then it took about eight months to absorb the concept. I would come to terms with parts of it at a time, then disagree with others. For example, coming from a devoutly Catholic family, I denounced her Atheism as irrational. Of course, stupid people love to call things irrational when they don't want to adjust to new information. I will openly admit my conservatism.

Even now, about two years later, I still have some points to argue. Which is why I came here. I'm probably poor at debate, so try not to make me cry when I make a point with a sucky argument. I just want new insight, different perspectives, maybe somebody to explain to me in terms that I can understand why I'm wrong.

But I won't go into that right now, since this is just the intro post.

Anyway, hi! I like Objectivism! Yay!

--Matt

[Selene]

Matt:

Welcome to OL.

Are you a student or a wage slave for the state?

Where do you hale from?

I think you will find some excellent insights and guidance here, but watch yourself in the clinches...lol.

Adam

an "ex-Catholic" whose father was excommunicated by the Catholic church

[Brant Gaede]

Hi, Matt!. Welcome to OL. Ideas first, philosophy second.

--Brant

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Matt,

Welcome to OL.

I take it you are still a student.

I must say, you've got a good head. And you are right to try to keep it.

My advice is to engage in debate and look at everything (and that means everything--good and bad, preferably in the original), but come to your own conclusions. Don't let anyone take the from you. Ever.

Believe me, they will try--especially (as you noticed from your story) the people who love you who prefer you to think like they do. Even around here, once in a while someone will show up trying to control others.

You start to gain real peace of mind when you can accept love and respect from those who disagree with you and you can love and respect them back--and can still hold to your own conclusions.

I hope you like it here. I want to say I hope you find some of the answers you seek, too, but that sounds preachy. (If there's one thing I don't like, it's me being preachy.) I will say I hope you find that your questions are reflected back in a good manner and that you encounter many more questions.

Seek on and welcome once again.

Michael

[wyattstorch42]

Thanks everybody.

I am a student--a high school senior. I also work at a warehouse. I hear a lot of people complain about how hard they work for how little they get paid. I spare them the truth--I have only worked there a year and a half and my wage is higher than most of my friends--because I tend to work harder. My boss prints out a sheet of "productivity" for us box packers--total number of boxes, shipment gross weight, number of orders filled, etc. I'm always on top by a lot. So the pay isn't totally amazing, but, if I were the boss, I wouldn't change a thing. Manual labor isn't worth the same as intellectual labor--it doesn't accomplish as much, and so it doesn't deserve as much. A laborer is replaceable--anyone can labor.

But I aspire, of course, for more. I intend to go to Arizona State University and obtain a Bachelor's, majoring in computer science and minoring in business. No philosophy for me.

So yeah. I'm in Arizona, USA. NO, I DON'T ENDORSE SHERIFF JOE. At least Hitler knew how to make a good public image.

Again, thanks. And trust me--I'm pretty stubborn, so even if I suck at debate and I don't have a comeback, you probably haven't convinced me yet!