The obvious objection against Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is that it promotes the kind of selfishness that most of us try to avoid. This objection can simply be overcome by actually reading the book, which argues for an alternative definition of selfishness: A self-interest that is a given, for you and me alike. Atlas Shrugged illustrates that our choice is not if but how we care for ourselves. Which depends a great deal on whether we fully own our self-interest authentically, or try to hide and deny it.
But if Atlas Shrugged just advocates making life more wonderful through embracing who we already are—which encompasses giving to others for our true fulfillment, rather than out of psychological-, social- or authoritarian pressure—how can anyone who praises a book sharing these spiritual values ever act out of extreme divisiveness?
Why do you promote forgiveness and nonviolence? Doesn’t such a weak attitude cause people to try to make hopelessly toxic relationships work when they should simply walk away from them instead?
Meeting racism, sexism or other forms of conditional despise, hatred or disrespect with a rejection of the person only perpetuates the momentum of violence in a different form. Do you really believe that you can eradicate darkness by denying it your light?
!Warning!
Idiots are more important to the world than they get credit for. If you’re not an idiot already, you might want to consider becoming one too…