Pride, Humility, and Ayn Rand

Pride is the recognition of the fact that you are your own highest value and, like all of man’s values, it has to be earned.
AYN RAND

Anyone who knows me will recognize the influence that Ayn Rand has had on my thinking. But I am not an Objectivist. From the beginning, I found a lot to like in Rand's thought, but I always felt that there was something nutty in it as well. Like medicine, the dosage is what matters, and Rand is an antidote to a lot of bad things and thinking in our society. But if you overdose on it as many of her followers do, then you end up with a new set of errors to contend with. I think the source of these errors comes from pride in one's epistemology. I will now elaborate.

Secular individualism is empirical. We know what we know from the senses. But we can be fooled by our own senses. The only antidote to this is to submit to peer review. This takes humility. You must always be open to the possibility that you have it wrong. We all have cognitive biases working against us and distorting what we observe. We fit the evidence to our conclusions instead of drawing conclusions from the evidence. Everyone does it, so you don't need to feel ashamed about it.

It is said that Rand could never make the switch from Newton to Einstein. I don't know if this is true or not, but it makes sense considering her dogmatism. This is what makes Objectivists so foolish. They have a system of thought based on reason. Then, they extrapolate from that to conclusions that are just plain nuts. Within Rand's circle, if you failed to come to the same conclusions as she did, you were banished. Basically, a fellow like Einstein or even Newton with his love for religion or alchemy could never be in the fellowship of Ayn Rand. The result is that Objectivism has developed a cult like reputation. This is unwarranted since cults love to recruit not banish people. Objectivism seems more like the Spanish Inquisition without the torture and atrocities.

Rand also elevated her aesthetic choices to a dogma even resorting to banishing people for not appreciating or sharing the same taste in music and encouraging smoking as a rational activity. The woman became almost cartoonish in her lifestyle and opinions. Her followers continue this absurdity. This is hubris.

I have learned that we often get it wrong. Or, in the case of aesthetics, some things just don't matter. As a secular individualist, I take the humble approach. Unlike Rand, I choose to be self-deprecating. I surround myself with people who explicitly disagree with me on a variety of issues. I listen to a wide range of thought and opinion. And I change my mind on things as I learn and reflect. I try not to take myself too seriously or scare people into not saying what they think. The result is that others tell me that I tend to be humble, and I have a real disdain for narcissists, elitists, and snobs. This is generally true.

This humility stems from my epistemology, but the epistemology that makes me humble also makes me bold in regards to others. I will not hesitate to take others down a notch. I am all about the truth, and I thrive in the light that makes others wither and shrivel up. I simply dispense the medicine that I take daily.

The reason people don't want the truth is because their egos are bound up in whatever error they have embraced. To admit error is to admit a flaw. People don't want to face their flaws. Some even turn those flaws into virtues. This is how you get someone like Sarah Palin who is proud of being stupid.

The antidote to this is to acknowledge two things. The first is that you are not better than anyone else. You might be a little smarter, more talented, or whatnot in a particular area. But overall, you are flawed. Everyone makes mistakes, and even the greatest admit that they made mistakes all along their path to success. The second thing to acknowledge is that no else is better than you. They might have superiority in certain areas, but they are as prone to error as anyone else.

I don't feel inferior or superior to anyone else. I am a smart guy, but my learning only shows to me how much I don't know. I also find that people I disagree with on one area I find agreement with on another area. I also pay no mind to credentials or status but focus on the arguments and the evidence.

Ayn Rand has had an influence on me, but as I pointed out to a leftard who called me a "Randroid," I would have been kicked out of her circle in a short period of time. Besides, I don't smoke. I'd have to wear a gas mask to tolerate the atmosphere. But Rand would always be welcome in my circle though she would have to smoke outside. This is the difference between an Objectivist and a Secular Individualist. And I have always beaten Objectivists in debates by merely pointing to Rand's flaws. She had the right idea but took it in the wrong direction.

This post is more of a conversation starter than an endpoint. Hopefully, others will chime in on the comments and express their thoughts. Plus, I might get some Randroid shellacking as well. But I try to live by my values, and I think humility is a value and a virtue.

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