Barbara Branden on the Passion of Ayn Rand

[beesleeper]

Libertarians are LAUGHABLE

[The727stpete727]

@Bill4Banco I wish more people came here like you, that's what made America a great nation. Now we have immigration with the aspiration of welfare and entitlement.

[richardcadbury]

Branden is an evil parasite.

[bcsizemore]

The music in the background is from the game Braid.

[LordCalvinHastings]

I agree - Rand seemed to have an answer to every question. I've never seen her lost for words in interviews, and she never falters while speaking.

I've read all of her fiction books and one of her nonfiction books. My mom and a friend were responsible for getting me hooked.

[mf91007]

Objectivism/Atlas Shrugged is very comforting for me. Public school really tries to beat the shit out of your confidence and your ability, but I fought it and constantly trumped and stumped the fools who run the public education system. How pathetic of them to become intellectually bankrupted by a 13 year old! It got so bad that they just modified my schedule so I only had to go to school from 8 to 10:30, then I got bussed home so that I could teach myself using books and the internet. Pathetic.

[InanityAnon]

This is beautiful. This is what man could be.

[InanityAnon]

I weep at how lonely she must have been. What a mind, what confidence, whatever her 'faults' I wish I had known her.

[notbestfriends]

Atlas Shrugged: Fiction to Fact in 53 years.

A great read.

[olga2415]

I experience the joy of her mind through her books. How I wished I had been able to meet her before her demise!

[IrishRugby8man]

The song is Downstream by Shira Kammen. Who ever said it was from the video game Braid is spot on!

[Philosopher2087]

The description of this video is completely wrong! Dr. Leonard Peikoff was the closest of Ayn Rand's friends. The description is dishonest at best.

[fntime]

Philosopher, you are very wrong. I attended many classes at NBI in the mid 1960's. Not knocking Peikoff, but he was a relative of N Brandon and was a bit younger. His contributions were minor, a few articles & lectures, similar to Alan Greenspan. Rand had not much of a relation with him, until the break between Brandon & Rand 1968. You are commenting about things that you have no first hand knowledge, as a young person, I would recommend you don't acquire book knowledge only.

[Philosopher2087]

It is you who is wrong, Peikoff was closely associated with Rand for 30 years, while the Brandens knew her for around 19 years. Wether or not Peikoff contributed to NBI is not even relevant to my claim that, after Rand's death, he ended up being the one who (1) knew her the most, (2) was her designated intellectual heir, and (3) inhereted her estate. It is you who ignore lots of the information, which is typical of the so called "Randians."

[fntime]

Philosopher, 'none are so blind, as those

who will not see'.

Enjoy your delusions.

You who never met any of these people,

but read someone elses interpetation

is better informed than people who

were there.

Good luck pal, you'll need it!

[olga2415]

@fntime Hi fntime. I sure enjoyed our conversations through the inbox (e-mail feature) of this site and I miss hearing from you...although I realize that you have a life outside of those of us who wish to converse with you about Ayn Rand's philosophy. ( I sure hope so, at least!) lol Actually, I don't think anyone is fully capable of living their avowed philosophy; being fallible human beings, after all.

[fntime]

@olga2415 I always loved Reason magazine. Ronald

Reagan often contributed articles, which at the time

surprised me, because in the early 70's, I didn't look

upon him as an intellectual.

In the field of ethics, politics and defense of achievement

& capitalism, she is the best.

But there were many opinions, that she had,

that she thought was truth! Objectivism to me,

is not a philosophy.

[fntime]

@olga2415 I once attended a debate between

Brandon and Albert Ellis, he represented the

philosophy of the 'logical positivism'...

it never took place because the 'objectivist

contingent walked out, over some point

I don't remember.

Also, she is a wonderful writer, Atlas and

Fountainhead, are brilliant & enjoyable.

[fntime]

@olga2415 Also she was correct about the pyschology

of the collectivist. Her explaination of altruism,

is extremely helpful, no one again will make you

feel guilty about rejecting the altruist con game.

[fntime]

Philosopher, I hope my comment didn't

seem like I was rebuking you. I was

your age when I entered the world of

Ayn Rand & Nathaniel Brandon....they

had an extremely profound effect on

my life, both good and bad.

If you are interested in my slant on them

and the pitfalls, please send my a note.

Good luck, they are a good starting point.

[gestet]

fntime, were you one of the collective? If so, could you identify yourself.

[fntime]

No gestet,I was'nt in the inner circle, just one of many 'students of objectivism' (that was what we were supposed to call ourselves, by our leader Ayn Rand(lol) The NBI (Nathaniel Brandon Institute) gave a number of courses,usually moderated by Nathaniel Brandon, at the Atlantic Sheraton. Many of the people who were close to Rand gave lectures. Any Rand always attended & had a Q &A session at the end of the first lecture. She was usually accompanied by Frank O'Connor, her husband.

[gestet]

I'm almost finished reading Ayn Rand and the World She Made by Anne C. Heller which is a fascinating & riveting biography. Rand's bouts of depression as well as her fits of manic rage when challenged with her philosophies are well documented in the book. Did you find her to be this way whenever challenged or disagreed with during any of the Q &A

sessions at the end of the first lecture?

[paulk314]

How are cleaning your dishes and not going to a place that might get you killed weaknesses, exactly? O.o

[fntime]

@paulk314 Curious? What's your point?

Paul, you're probably a 'giant' in your personal

life, BUT, most of us, are multi-faceted,

how about you?

[Cramnella]

I hate the music and Ms. Rand would have also.

[mptfg]

"You had better stat recognizing people of ability, or else you're not going to have a world left."

[kev3d]

Reminds me of the Ken Burns "Civil War" documentary soundtrack.

[renfieldlite]

I think the background music is from the videogame Braid.

[NickDiPerna]

All good stuff!

[legendre007]

I love Ayn Rand's books. When I'm feeling down, I can pick up "The Fountainhead" and get absorbed in its beautiful sense of life. And every time I read "Atlas Shrugged," I get something new out of it - it's like a new experience every time.

[xburningheavensx]

@legendre007 I couldn't agree more. I find in Ayn Rand's books protracted and resounding literary hymns to life and liberty. In essence, her message was that as none of us asked to be born, we cannot be encumbered by a collective which wants not only to exploit our faculties and their fruits, but to pay us minimum wage for our services. What could be more true than that?