The Guiltiest Man In The Room
Posted by Shrugger 11 years, 4 months ago to The Gulch: General
Who Is "The Guiltiest Man In The Room?"
20121204jn
This is the question Francisco asks Hank Rearden at the cocktail party? Most assume Francisco was referring to James Taggert or one of his cronies... but, of course... he is not.
Who is Francisco referring to... and why... and more importantly, what implications does this have in the real world... in the world we all live in?
Ayn Rand wrote extensively about the "sanction of the victim"... a concept that explains why, oftentimes, the people who are the recipients of hostility and the targets of abuse will take the side of their enemies in some way because of a mistaken moral assumption. They often feel some sense of guilt about their morality and their role in life, and accept the hostility of others as just punishment.
In Atlas Shrugged (the book), Hank Rearden has accepted as true the morality espoused by those around him... namely, that his lust for life is craven and makes him morally corrupt. He recognizes his sexual desires for his wife, and later for Dagny, as animalistic and contemptible, and, accepting that morality, sees himself as flawed and therefore deserving of the punishment he receives. He also accepts, as part of the same morality, the condemnation of his brother, his wife, and his mother for the pride he has in his superior abilities.
Let's step back from the world of Atlas Shrugged for a moment and examine the real world... the world you and I live in, as it really is.
I accept the fact that there are evil people in the world. I expect there to be evildoers... and when I encounter them in my life, I have little or no trouble minimizing the damage they cause me. I do NOT expect rationality from evil people. I expect them to be irrational... and that makes it easier to deal with them.
Where I have troubles in my life is in dealing with people who are NOT necessarily evil... but who act irrationally anyway.
More harm has been done in this world by otherwise good people who fail to act rationally, than can ever be done by truly evil people. Evil people usually have very limited power. Their abilities, by themselves, to inflict harm, are therefore minimal.
It is the masses of the otherwise good people who act irrationally that give power to those who would wreak havok and do bad things purposefully.
Irrationallity is the POWER behind the evildoers.
Throughout most of Atlas Shrugged, Hank Rearden acts irrationally.
He relys on the minds of others to define morality for him, rather than relying on his own rational abilities.
In MOST aspects of his life, Hank uses his rationality as a valuable tool to help him live a productive, fruitful life. But in this arena... morality... he leaves it up to others to define for him how he should feel about his life. That is what causes him to feel guilty... to feel dirty... to hide his greatest desires... that is what zaps his JOY of life!
It is also why he continues to COMPROMISE with the enemy.
Hank keeps producing metal for his enemies. They need his metal in order to stay in power. Instead of closing up his plant and disappearing, as many of his counterparts have done, he keeps feeding his life-blood to the vampires who want to suck him dry.
His mistaken belief, that HIS morality is depraved, diminishes his capacity for happiness and joy in life. BUT EVEN WORSE... his compromise with his enemies is hurting Galt and Francisco and the others who have already withdrawn their support from their enemies.
Every minute that Hank allows his strength and ability to sustain his enemies... is another minute that Galt and Company will have to remain hidden away from the world.
It is Hank Rearden who Francisco (and Ayn Rand) is referring to as the Guiltiest Man In The Room... not James Taggeret et al.
Taggert is powerless... as is Barack Obama... or Harry Reid... or Mitt Romney... or Bill and Hillary... or George Bush... or ANY of the looters and moochers of the world... without ALLIES like Hank Rearden helping to provide the metal they need to stay in power.
Look at yourself.
Are you going GALT... or are you going HANK???
20121204jn
This is the question Francisco asks Hank Rearden at the cocktail party? Most assume Francisco was referring to James Taggert or one of his cronies... but, of course... he is not.
Who is Francisco referring to... and why... and more importantly, what implications does this have in the real world... in the world we all live in?
Ayn Rand wrote extensively about the "sanction of the victim"... a concept that explains why, oftentimes, the people who are the recipients of hostility and the targets of abuse will take the side of their enemies in some way because of a mistaken moral assumption. They often feel some sense of guilt about their morality and their role in life, and accept the hostility of others as just punishment.
In Atlas Shrugged (the book), Hank Rearden has accepted as true the morality espoused by those around him... namely, that his lust for life is craven and makes him morally corrupt. He recognizes his sexual desires for his wife, and later for Dagny, as animalistic and contemptible, and, accepting that morality, sees himself as flawed and therefore deserving of the punishment he receives. He also accepts, as part of the same morality, the condemnation of his brother, his wife, and his mother for the pride he has in his superior abilities.
Let's step back from the world of Atlas Shrugged for a moment and examine the real world... the world you and I live in, as it really is.
I accept the fact that there are evil people in the world. I expect there to be evildoers... and when I encounter them in my life, I have little or no trouble minimizing the damage they cause me. I do NOT expect rationality from evil people. I expect them to be irrational... and that makes it easier to deal with them.
Where I have troubles in my life is in dealing with people who are NOT necessarily evil... but who act irrationally anyway.
More harm has been done in this world by otherwise good people who fail to act rationally, than can ever be done by truly evil people. Evil people usually have very limited power. Their abilities, by themselves, to inflict harm, are therefore minimal.
It is the masses of the otherwise good people who act irrationally that give power to those who would wreak havok and do bad things purposefully.
Irrationallity is the POWER behind the evildoers.
Throughout most of Atlas Shrugged, Hank Rearden acts irrationally.
He relys on the minds of others to define morality for him, rather than relying on his own rational abilities.
In MOST aspects of his life, Hank uses his rationality as a valuable tool to help him live a productive, fruitful life. But in this arena... morality... he leaves it up to others to define for him how he should feel about his life. That is what causes him to feel guilty... to feel dirty... to hide his greatest desires... that is what zaps his JOY of life!
It is also why he continues to COMPROMISE with the enemy.
Hank keeps producing metal for his enemies. They need his metal in order to stay in power. Instead of closing up his plant and disappearing, as many of his counterparts have done, he keeps feeding his life-blood to the vampires who want to suck him dry.
His mistaken belief, that HIS morality is depraved, diminishes his capacity for happiness and joy in life. BUT EVEN WORSE... his compromise with his enemies is hurting Galt and Francisco and the others who have already withdrawn their support from their enemies.
Every minute that Hank allows his strength and ability to sustain his enemies... is another minute that Galt and Company will have to remain hidden away from the world.
It is Hank Rearden who Francisco (and Ayn Rand) is referring to as the Guiltiest Man In The Room... not James Taggeret et al.
Taggert is powerless... as is Barack Obama... or Harry Reid... or Mitt Romney... or Bill and Hillary... or George Bush... or ANY of the looters and moochers of the world... without ALLIES like Hank Rearden helping to provide the metal they need to stay in power.
Look at yourself.
Are you going GALT... or are you going HANK???
My scope is somewhat smaller than Hank Rearden's - I am the founder and CEO of a small chain of retail stores.
People have advised me to slow down and not try to grow my business in the current anti-capitalistic political climate, but I find myself unwilling to do so, and instead I have grown from 1 location 5 years ago to 12 stores today.
I HATE the looters who take so much of my hard earned profits, and I actually get nauseous when I see my tax bill, but I love the game and the fact that I CAN grow my business no matter what obstacles the bastards throw in my way.
I admire the Galts of the world, but l am decidedly more Rearden than Galt.
Rand created Reardon to show how productive and honorable people think.
Like many, his thinking is a bit narrow. He is an engineer, manager, a doer not an academic.
It takes very severe circumstances for him to realize what is happening.
So many people identify with Galt. But Galt is an ideal construct.
The problems and dilemmas that Reardon has to solve and sort out are those we all face and many of us should be able to deal with.
The money that I can still earn and keep, even after the bloodsucking politicians have taken their fill, allows me to enjoy a nice standard of living and provide well for my family.
I DO realize that the collectivists and looters count on men like me to finance their depravity, but I still get too much selfish pleasure (from my income producing activities) to even consider going Galt.
Maybe someday I will cease to enjoy it so much, and on the day that creating wealth ceases to bring me joy, I will go on strike.
Until then, call me Rearden.