Sociopath? Really???
Posted by Ragnell 9 years, 7 months ago to The Gulch: General
May I ask for input here? I very often hear Ayn Rand described as a sociopath by her detractors. This irks me no end. Can anyone enlighten me as to why this is the ad hominem attack of choice? How do you respond to this?
I wrote my post above from memory of seeing discussions on this topic in the past and doing some of my own research (Internet searches) to discover what the hoopla was all about. Simply put, some Rand detractors were insisting Rand had a sociopathic disorder because she scribbled some notes during the Hickman trial that seemed to have sympathy or even admiration towards Hickman. Such was not the case at all. The trial fascinated the whole country at the time, not just from the horror of the crime itself, but because a 20 year old could be so blatant in his defense. Rand simply noted what many others were seeing (hearing or reading actually, since there was no TV) as a possible use in a future novel. It was the "trial of the century", why wouldn't an astute author make some insightful observations and take a few notes? Rand detractors, of course, twisted the whole thing when Rands notes were published.
Surf the Net on various points of the subject and you'll see lots of information pop up.
Those brainwashed into self-sacrifice as a social good see anyone asserting "the virtue of selfishness" as a threat to their belief and therefore as evil. Their emotional programming shortcircuits their rational thought process, so they cannot see the continuum from masochistic self-abnegation and desire for maximum suffering that emulates Jesus's sacrifice for the whole human race, to the other extreme of sadistic exploitation and subjugation of others.
Altruists see only the two terminal points of this continuum and are not able to conceive of a rational alternative of neither sacrificing themselves nor accepting/demanding sacrifices from others. The fresh clean air that Ayn Rand provided for rational self-interest, respecting equal rights of others, basing relationships upon mutual benefit, is alien to those steeped in religious dogma and tribal indoctrination of the group owning the individual.
By this analysis, it becomes understandable that the passion to support the tribe will even lead their members to eager suicide for the alleged greater good. And anyone who asserts the rights of an individual to be non-negotiable in the face of collective demand will be labeled an outcast, apostate, traitor and sociopath.
This phenomenon of group rejection of the free radical can be seen everywhere, not just among altruists. Those whose memes don't match closely enough will be rejected, condemned, excommunicated or even executed lest they contaminate the rest of the flock. It is the war of ideas we see all around us.
All the misery and suffering of our species comes from conflicting ideas taking physical action even onto genocide and mutual assured destruction through wars. Such is the power of ideas, and why the world desperately needs John Galt's oath.
Seriously, I'm 74 years old. Don't argue with idiots,you won't change them. And some of the idiocity might rub off on you.
Jan
Jan
Jan, hmmm - some possibilities here
Jan, maybe wouldn't get a good grade
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