"Man may be justly proud of his natural endowments (if they are there objectively, i.e., rationally), such as physical beauty, physical strength, a great mind, good health. But all of these are merely his material or his tools; his self-respect must be based, not on these attributes, but on what he does with them. His self-respect must be based on his actions -- on that which proceeds from him. ...
If a man says: "But I realize that my natural endowments are mediocre -- shall I then suffer, be ashamed, have an inferiority complex?" The answer is: "In the basic, crucial sphere, the sphere of morality and action, it is not your endowments that matter, but what you do with them." It is here that all men are free and equal, regardless of natural gifts. You can be, in your own modest sphere, as good morally as the genius is in his -- if you live by the same rules.
Find your goal within yourself, in whatever work you are honestly capable of performing. Never make others your prime goal. Demand nothing from others as an unearned gift and grant them nothing unearned. Live by your own rational judgments. Be independent in whatever judgments you hold or actions you undertake, and do not venture beyond your own capacity, into spheres where you'll have to become a parasite and a second-hander. You'll be surprised how decent and wonderful a human being you'll become, and how much honest, legitimate human affection and appreciation you'll get from others."
The Journals of Ayn Rand, p. 291.
This week's edition of the Objectivist Round Up:
Paul Hsieh of We Stand FIRM presents "Forbes OpEd: Is President Obama's Prostate Gland More Important Than Yours?" saying, "My latest Forbes piece discusses, "Medical freedom for me, but not for thee."
Rational Jenn presents "The Naming of Houses is a Difficult Matter . . ." saying, "I'm thrilled to announce that I've thought of a name for our new home that suits exactly!"
Darius Cooper of Practice Good Theory presents "Long term Stock-Market Returns, saying " I look at some interesting charts from Crestmont Research."
Nicholas Provenzo of The Rule of Reason presents "The Supreme Court's ‘Declaratory Act’" saying, "In his Obamacare opinion, Chief Justice Roberts, however, "rewrote" the punitive feature of the individual health insurance mandate and called it a "tax," arguing that such a tax is not outside the bounds of Congressional power. In that single act, Chief Justice Roberts, in an act of evasion and moral cowardice, conferred upon Congress the power and authority to tax every human action and commodity."
John Drake of Try Reason! presents "Central Purpose in Life - Another Look", saying " What is a central purpose in life and do you need one? In this post, I take another look at how a central purpose can guide and enhance your life."
Earl Parson of Creatures of Prometheus presents "Death of a Crockpot" saying, "I eulogize my trusty old Crock Pot, which has bit the dust, with a silent prayer of "Thank Capitalism" in my heart."
Thank you for your entries in this week's Objectivist Round Up. To enter the final Objectivist Round Up, please email Jenn with your post.
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