Objectivism

For the past few months I've been studying a philosophy called Objectivism.  Apparently I live under a rock, because I'd never heard of such a thing until right before New Year's when not one but three separate people mentioned Ayn Rand and suggested I read her book Atlas Shrugged.  Well when three people who don't know each other mention the same book in three completely different conversations in a two day period I take it as a sign, so I went right out and got a copy and read it.

From there I went on to have several discussions with one of the people who'd recommended the book to me in the first place, and on his recommendation started reading Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, as well as a couple other related things.  We also had a few discussions about the philosophy, which were stimulating and thought provoking.

What I found most fascinating is despite how different this way of seeing the world is from my own, I was still able to find enough common points to identify with it and enough validity to incorporate at least some of it into the way I think and operate.

Which is an important point:

Your philosophy (and mine) are but one
way of seeing and operating in the world.

There are many, many other philosophies, all which have some merit and all of which work for some people.  Your goal (and mine) is to find something that works for us and live that to the fullest.  This, I believe, is a key component of creating and living the life we want, which leads us to happiness and fulfillment.

Taking this a step further, while it's important to gain a clear understanding of how you view life and what works for you, it's also important to keep an open mind and to eagerly absorb new information and ways of thinking.  You don't have to jump on every train that comes along, but if you're not at least open to new ideas you may just miss out on something that can take you to new levels of self-understanding and greatly enhance your ability to function and succeed in the world around you.

So will I wholeheartedly embrace Objectivism?  Probably not.  I'm way too much of an independent thinker to completely embrace any one viewpoint or philosophy.  However I do find some merit in the principles of Objectivism so I will incorporate the information I've learned into my current understanding of reality and how the world works.  Because of this I gain understanding, not only of myself but of others who do embrace this philosophy and have found a way for it to work in their lives.

It's all part of the cool adventure called life, and I'm going to continue expanding my horizons by soaking in new information and experiences, forever adding to the mosaic that makes up the fullness of "Maria."