And then I also chose Objectivism. The above and below go hand in hand with understanding exactly what objectivism is.
While Rand advocated a seemingly extreme form of self-reliance, she also encouraged the use of human reason. I am four chapters into Ayn Rand's masterpiece The Fountainhead, a book which Mark recommended to me a year ago, saying it "changed his life." Intrigued, I quickly looked up the author and the book, finding her sense of self-reliance to be a little overboard. Already, just from what I've read, I would not be surprised finding out that Howard Roark helped to create Holden Caughfield. Salinger chose to focus on youth and the "coming of age" adventure. Interestingly enough, I once browsed over a blog that compared the movie Superbad to a 2000s rendition of Catcher in the Rye. Tobias Wolff's Old School helped me to better realize Rand's personality and how she expressed her ideals. Profoundly outspoken, and much too critical on an already deceased Hemingway (at least in Wolff's novel, which was another coming of age story). The more complicated society gets, I feel it's harder growing up. The same goes for the fact that more children are forced to stuff information in their heads. Our minds are not evolving as fast as we think they are. Technology will not evolve alongside our brains. It will surpass us indubitably. And that will mark a time of space exploration and obesity - joking (see also: WALL-E)
On a relevant note, in his book Healing Anger, the 14th Dalai Lama gives thorough discussion concerning interpretation of scripture or religious material. Throughout the book, he is interviewed in a Q&A format and is asked what authority can best represent the scriptures or religious texts. He says:
Ultimately, the authority falls on human reason and understanding.
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