RoR: Forum

Barbara writes:
>That is a perfect explanation.

Well, I happily agree that man is fallible and imperfect if that is his nature.

- Daniel

Post 41

Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 1:47pm

This is a small thing, but I find it particularly infuriating. It is constantly said that Rand insisted it was immoral NOT to smoke. This is utterly ridiculous. She never said, implied, suggested, or hinted at such a thing.

Barbara

Post 42

Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 1:59pm

Barbara:
>This is a small thing, but I find it particularly infuriating. It is constantly said that Rand insisted it was immoral NOT to smoke.

When I used to smoke, I could have easily been persuaded of the above. I really loved it, even more than drinking. It looks cool too, and is a great conversational prop. So even if she had said it, I would've understood why. In fact, I'd often go out drinking just so I could smoke more...;-)

Pity it's just so damn *bad* for you....

- Daniel

Post 43

Sunday, March 20, 2005 - 12:44am

Andrew: "When I look at�her, I see a life filled with what she called, "the total passion for the total height," the sense-of-life term that has become SOLO's motto. Yes, Ayn Rand made some mistakes. So did Dagny Taggart. I'm not about to eject her from the pantheon of Objectivist heroes for them."

Bravo, Andrew. The people who trot out her flaws at any mention of her name, never mention her brilliance, her dedication, her courage, all the many qualities that made her as remarkable a woman as she was a writer.

Post 44

Sunday, March 20, 2005 - 4:06pm

Thank you, Barbara. That obsessive focus on Ayn Rand's flaws was exactly what led me to vent some frustration with this article.

In regards to smoking, I think Daniel's right: it looks cool as hell (in a good way Linz, think of "cool" as synonymous with debonair), and is a great conversation piece. I have found that smoking, much like alcohol, can be enjoyed rationally... I smoke in social situations, when I'm with friends who smoke. (Although I'm not sure if this would really work for someone who was once addicted to smoking and then quit.)

Post 45

Sunday, March 20, 2005 - 11:56pm

It works for me, Andrew. I quit smoking 5 years ago, and after about 1 year of being "clean," I was able to have a cigarette for fun now and then. I like to smoke one or two while out drinking and dancing.

Kelly

Post 46

Monday, March 21, 2005 - 2:13am