My Son is reading Ayne Rand

[DarkKnight]

Rosarium,

You've thrown yourself at a conclusion failing wildly. Feel free to submit your apologies regarding my ignorance of my son's condition.

Until then, use your imagination, it is obviously your gift.

[Herr_Mannelig]

Rosarium,

You've thrown yourself at a conclusion failing wildly. Feel free to submit your apologies regarding my ignorance of my son's condition.

You may apologise first for claiming that it is a "medical condition", as if it is undesirable and something to be purged, like some other undesirable malfunction of the body.

You know, Dr. Asperger thought that what is now called Asperger's Syndrome was caused by mothers (and parents as a whole, I think) who improperly raise their children. He called them "refrigerator mothers". It is good that the psychological profession has delved for more information and found it is not so, that it is in fact just a continuum of personality traits which reach a certain level to cause significant problems in communication with Neurotypicals. This difference works both ways. People with Asperger's Syndrome have a great difficulty in understand those who are Neurotypical. Those who are Neurotypical have an equally hard time understanding those who have Asperger's Personality. These differences are de facto unfair to those with Asperger's Personality because they are a minority, and therefore, are the ones with the burden of adaptation, but don't forget in one to one communication, all else being equal, the disorder is not in either party, but a mutual problem. When one has the responsibility, they are in fact the ones with the burden of making the effort.

All the problems of Asperger's Syndrome, which you seem to know (which, if it means anything, I am familiar with what you may be feeling as I have met many parents with such children and I see how hard it is on them) are not a given. They are a reaction. It is possible for them to be completely wiped out with proper education, experience and will. Perhaps if you were to meet someone who had no problems which you associate with Asperger's Syndrome, you wouldn't be so quick to call it a "medical condition".

[newtolatin]

Well, the thing I noticed about Ayn Rand was that altho she was writing before effective abc, her characters had sex but no children. She is totally unrealistic in that she seems to believe that those who try will succeed, which is not at all always true. So I'd focus on pointing out her lack of realism because of course she played God with her characters and everything always came out all right.

You could also read the story of what a totally despicable person she was in the biography of her written by Barbara Brandon, but if someone else can recommend a better refutation than that following her philosophy made her into a horrible person, that would probably be more pleasant reading.

[voxpopulisuxx]

"Aspy" is not a personality type. It's a medical condition.

My son is an Aspy. They have a tendency to fixate on an idea, item, etc. and loose any sense of balance in their lives.

Sorry dear friend I disagree
or Asperger traits can be caused by a medical condition, but non sequiter
Aspergers in people can simply be who they are. In my experience

[voxpopulisuxx]

Instead of slogging through Atlas Shrugged or whatever else, he could get the same basic ideas by simply playing the video game Bioshock.   

lol he loves that game.....(its bad though...I liked it alot at first, but then it gets more murderous and vile as it goes)

[voxpopulisuxx]

"Aspy" is not a personality type. It's a medical condition.

My son is an Aspy. They have a tendency to fixate on an idea, item, etc. and loose any sense of balance in their lives.

Sorry dear friend I disagree
or Asperger traits can be caused by a medical condition, but non sequiter
Aspergers in people can simply be who they are. In my experience

and further you know I too have suffered trying to fit my son into normal family life (normal being what rosearium calls nurotypical) but the more I watched the more I saw that he was genuinly baffled by me as well, and that he wasnt deliberatly being such a "jerk" jusst he didnt get what most people get, then I realised that God has a plan for him, and maybe being an unemotional jerk at times will serve a purpose God has for his future vocations...just a thought....but never forget I still thank you for reaching out to me in PM when I was having a hard time coping.
And Rosarium you to thanks...so please both of you dont turn this ugly ok...I really want to know more about Rand, and young peoples thought lives...not aspys

[DarkKnight]

Rosarium,

Whose advice should I take a self-inflated Rosary maker whose primary sources are older than my parents' first car or the researchers with PhD.D.s that my son has seen at the preeminent cognitive cutting-edge research center on the West Coast? I have also worked in the fields.

Actually, he has respondend very well to treatment and has come along nicely, thank you very much. There are a number of recent breakthroughs for even full-on Autism that can allow the child to fall within the bracket of "normal."

BTW, a word to the wise the Forum Owners have special insights into the subject of your ignorant rantings, so what you say about me and my knowledge/experience may not be well received.

In the spirit of charity, I offer two words "back" and "off."  

[Herr_Mannelig]

Rosarium,

Whose advice should I take a self-inflated Rosary maker whose primary sources are older than my parents' first car or the researchers with PhD.D.s that my son has seen at the preeminent cognitive cutting-edge research center on the West Coast? I have also worked in the fields.

I have lived 21 years with Asperger's Syndrome. I have experienced it in a way that is impossible for Neurotypicals, just as we will never know what it is like to be Neurotypical.

I have, more importantly, overcome all problems associated with it to function as well as I can. I do however have a totally unrelated problem which limits my options, but I do not discuss that matter online, except to say that there is something about me which limits me so my unemployment does not seem out of place.

I have lived with very little aid from others and experienced many things. People have come to me, people with degrees and children and years of experience, for my insight. I would not have written what I did without reason, and the reason was to help. It was limited, I know, but such is a forum.

Actually, he has respondend very well to treatment and has come along nicely, thank you very much. There are a number of recent breakthroughs for even full-on Autism that can allow the child to fall within the bracket of "normal."

I am happy for him. I do not know anything about him, beyond the few things you said. But from what you have written, you seem to equate negative reactions and learned behavior with Asperger's Syndrome. It is not that. Those problems are only reactions which require attention before they escalate. After treating those issues, comes the real issues of Asperger's Syndrome.

BTW, a word to the wise the Forum Owners have special insights into the subject of your ignorant rantings, so what you say about me and my knowledge/experience may not be well received.

I am not sure what you mean, as I am not sure what you think about me...you called me a Rosary maker and seem to think my living without issues with Asperger's Syndrome does not count as an insight so I am not sure to what you are referring. Perhaps you misunderstood something I wrote. I wrote what I did with knowledge, so if it is mistaken for ignorance you must be either quite advanced or I was not clear in my meaning.

In the spirit of charity, I offer two words "back" and "off."  

I was only trying to help highlight the importance of understanding others and improving communication. I do not wish to disrupt voxpopulisuxx's thread any more, so I will back off, but please note that calling my personality a medical condition is very rude by Neurotypical standards. I know how using the phrase "Neurotypical" can agitate them, even there there is no judgement involved (it is merely a phrase for "normal people"), so I would think by society's standards, calling someone's personality a "medical condition" would be grossly offensive. It was that which sparked my first post in response to you.

I will also attribute the adjectives you used for me to a parent's concern and focus on a child, but I would hope you would be more open to discussion in real life.

[Etheldreda]

I'm surprised no one is expressing great concern that this young man is reading Ayn Rand. She was an evil woman and her books are seeped in atheism and the glorification of ruthless egoism.

There is nothing good to be learnt from this woman who:
- Rejected faith because it is opposed to reason
- Opposed organized religion
- Argued that rational self-interest is the only right guiding moral principle and that indivuals "must exist for his own sake."
- Glorified her evil philosophy of Objectivism which she defined as: "the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."
- In her personal life she had an affair with a much younger man with both of their spouses' approval (how sick is that?)

[Herr_Mannelig]

I'm surprised no one is expressing great concern that this young man is reading Ayn Rand. She was an evil woman and her books are seeped in atheism and the glorification of ruthless egoism.

He's an adult, and concern was expressed.

We all, I think, have read works that if taken to heart would be harmful, but that is how we learn.

The concern vox as a parent should have depends on his more intimate knowledge of his son...no on freaked out when I said I thought the Satanic Bible was poorly written although I am around his son's age.

[Magnificat]

I'm surprised no one is expressing great concern that this young man is reading Ayn Rand. She was an evil woman and her books are seeped in atheism and the glorification of ruthless egoism.

There is nothing good to be learnt from this woman who:
- Rejected faith because it is opposed to reason
- Opposed organized religion
- Argued that rational self-interest is the only right guiding moral principle and that indivuals "must exist for his own sake."
- Glorified her evil philosophy of Objectivism which she defined as: "the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."
- In her personal life she had an affair with a much younger man with both of their spouses' approval (how sick is that?)

She wrote on amphetamines, just like Jack Kerouac.  I like his stuff better, though.

[RRR]

The founder of the Church of Satan, Anton Szandor LaVey (Howard Stanton Levey) described his religion as "just Ayn Rand's philosophy with ceremony and ritual added".

The Satanic Bible (written by Howard Levey) reads similar to Ayn Rand's (Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum) works.

So you decide.

[James02]

Atlas Shrugged is an excellent book for a young man to read.  It greatly increased my Catholic Faith.

You have to understand her error.  She attributed the Utopian mind set to the belief in Original Sin.  However, atheist socialists REJECT Original Sin.  She was totally wrong here.  Heck they admit it.  You can't have a Utopia if man is fallen.  That seems pretty simple to me.

But her DESCRIPTION of the statist, socialists, and fascists is where she was brilliant.  And predicting how they act and what they do is worth the read.  Especially since the book reads like a prophecy of Obama and our current age of collapse.  Obama and his government of losers matches perfectly the government Rand put forward in her book.

So explain to your son to pay attention to the descriptions of leftists, but to understand that John Gault's famous speech towards the end is completely wrong.  I recommend "Politics of Bad Faith" by David Horowitz to understand how utopians really think.  And they certainly do not believe in Original Sin.

[ImpyTerwilliger]

should I be concerned about my 18 year old readin Ayn Rand?
I agree with Rand on many things but my understanding is that its athiestic in nature?

Ayn Rand wrote works with titles like, The Virtue of Selfishness.  I read her stuff when I was about your son's age.  (I'm 46 now.)  Her work is profoundly anti-Christian and, if embraced, will lead one to hell.

[SoCalLocal]

should I be concerned about my 18 year old readin Ayn Rand?
I agree with Rand on many things but my understanding is that its athiestic in nature?

Back to the original topic...

No, you shouldn't be concerned unless he starts acquiring the complete works and becomes a Randroyd. She gets referred to a lot so he might as well know what it's all about.

Her big flaw is that she thinks people are smarter and more decent than they really are.