Notes on Atlas Shrugged

I haven't updated my Facebook "favorite books" section since I opened my account about 7 years ago. But after I read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, I knew it was worth the update.

There was something so obvious, deep, and profound about the book that resonated with me. I love its emphasis on reason and production as well its focus on concrete details rather than vague, wishy-washiness. Part of me felt embarrassed while reading the book because I found myself to be guilty of some of the "bad" behaviors/thought processes/language described in the book, and now I have a much stronger foundation and framework within which I can consider what ways of thinking and doing are better.

I liked how she used the book -- a work of fiction -- to teach her lessons and philosophy through stories and characters. It made the lessons so much more vivid and memorable. I also enjoyed her writing simply as well-chosen words of English beautifully crafted together; I'm shocked I didn't encounter this book in any English class during my entire education. And to be written by an immigrant no less.

One thing I kept wondering about is why the "smart" characters (the "movers") never actively tried to change/fix the system but instead chose to abandon it for a fresh start. I'm curious what other readers think.

The book was also my first introduction to Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy, which is defined broadly as "the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."

Below are some of my own notes/takeaways from the book.

• Abstract philosopher in concrete form of fiction
  
• Specificity
  
• Real work, real goals
  
• Some people fake, vague
  
• Reason and absolute goals
  
• Metaphor of train and progress
  
• All realistic, smart people similar
  
• Power of music
  
• Such beautiful writing!
  
• World collaborating against genius, ability, and truth
  
• Not just stupidity that's the problem
  
• Good ones are those who move the world
  
• Power of talent, effort, mastery
  
• Modern coats of arms are brands and billboards
  
• Making money, happiness absolute top goals
  
• Achievement of real goals
  
• Problems of socialism
  
• Code of competence only system of value
  
• Only thing that matters is how well you work
  
• Lack of popularity is due to working well
  
• Aristotle theory of immovable mover
  
• Joy of pleasure, not sin
  
• Obsession with work bad too
  
• Hypocrisy of modern times
  
• Hypocrisy of socialism
  
• People don't like it when something is good
  
• All government corrupt
  
• When we deal with applied science and tech, we deal with people, and people are more complex
  
• Principles of truth drive few people
  
• People sacrificed unjustly
  
• Men not open to truth or reason
  
• Must deceive them
  
• Pleasure of body and achievement
  
• Power of living mind and purpose
  
• Libertarian, laissez-faire
  
• By making profit and producing, you are doing good
  
• Body and soul together, not at conflict
  
• Longing for someone to admire and look up to
  
• Important role of emotions for man and Objectivism
• Reason, Purpose, Self esteem
• Axiom of existence; A is A
• Axiom of consciousness; Existence exists
• Evil of non-specific language, "somehow"
  
• Power of mind, only doing what self wants
  
• Desire is good
  
• Happiness as goal through skill and work through mind
  
• "I am therefore I'll think"
  
• Fight against mystics; Mystics of spirit; Mystics of muscle
• No force or guns in morality
  
• Not soul vs. body
  
• Not human rights vs. property rights
  
• Only role of government is protecting property rights, enforcing contracts in objective law, police, army
  
• Oath: never live for sake of another man
  
• Egoist
  
• Aristotle
  
• Happiness as moral purpose; Reason as absolute; Production as greatest act

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