Comments | burgunder: Taoism Objectivism

burgunder

Taoism Objectivism

Feb 19, 2009 11:12

I'm an objectivist and a taoist,
And I know why these don't conflict.

He who considers wealth to be right will not part with his earnings ( Read more... )

armchair philosophy, books, tao, self-image

Comments 4

Thank you. [Again.] greymalkin February 20 2009, 00:24:58 UTC

[Reposted from replying first to quoted entry. Oops.]

I've spent many a year trying to resolve my intellectual preference for Objectivism with the Asian and Pagan philosophies I also prefer. You have just given me the key to the answer, and I thank you for it.

[You'd think, as a Priest of Lugh, God of Skills, I'd've figured it out on my own, but I'm also a bit dense, much of the time. ;]

You have a fight or fuck cult? How do I sign up?

Re: Thank you. [Again.] burgunder February 20 2009, 00:50:37 UTC

Ah, this is so one of many reasons why I love you, my muchly missed good friend.

The first key for me was the sandwich shop scene in Atlas Shrugged. Not taking for granted the simple pleasure of making a sandwich. And bam, there it was.

Yeah. That.

You have a fight or fuck cult? How do I sign up?

GRiN Resonance is all that's necessary for membership, so you're in.

schmi February 20 2009, 04:09:51 UTC

I was an Objectivist through most of my teens and twenties. It took me that long to get cured of it.

If it works for you, great! As for me, while I am still a staunch capitalist and I greatly value many ideas from Ayn Rand's philosophy, a lot of it was greatly flawed. The world isn't as black and white as she drew it. Without the shades of gray and the colors, this life isn't worth living.

angerie February 20 2009, 16:08:06 UTC

I've been thinking about this.

That abstraction - that money is only a means of exchanging value for value - is important.

There are some people who float through their life without defining for themselves what is important, what they value. So they do the 'right' thing and accumulate cash and accumulate things to represent the accumulated cash - thinking this is the destination.

If they come to the revelation that the things and the cash are empty, it's because they're empty.

I like how you view money as a tool and so consciously audit where and how you spend it. I think you have it right.