#individualism — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #individualism, aggregated by home.social.
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A quotation from Teddy Roosevelt
The teaching which I received was genuinely democratic in one way. It was not so democratic in another. I grew into manhood thoroughly imbued with the feeling that a man must be respected for what he made of himself. But I had also, consciously or unconsciously, been taught that socially and industrially pretty much the whole duty of the man lay in thus making the best of himself; that he should be honest in his dealings with others and charitable in the old-fashioned way to the unfortunate; but that it was no part of his business to join with others in trying to make things better for the many by curbing the abnormal and excessive development of individualism in a few.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer, US President (1901–1909)
Autobiography, ch. 1 “Boyhood and Youth” (1913)More about this quote: wist.info/roosevelt-theodore/8…
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #teddyroosevelt #theodoreroosevelt #collective #commoncause #commoninterest #community #exploitation #individualism #mutualresponsibility #mutualsupport #progress #reform #respect #selfcenteredness #selfmade #selfishness
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This is such a straw man and false dilemma fallacy. People don’t have to work for either private capitalists or the state/collective/society. There is another alternative where people work for themselves individually or jointly: #EconomicDemocracy. This position isn’t justified with appeals to collective authority, but rather liberal individual inalienable #HumanRights theory.
https://youtube.com/shorts/x-lIb2MGQ2w
#politics #individualism #individualist #socialism #capitalism #communism #liberty #mutualism
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#AynRand’s original introduction to The Virtue of Selfishness is now online--and it directly contradicts most of the claims people make about her #ethics.
If your picture of Rand comes from social media threads, YouTube rants, or second-hand “hot takes,” this is the text that breaks the spell.
Let’s clear out the biggest straw men right away:
❌ “Rand said selfishness means hurting people.”
No. She argues that rational self‑interest forbids coercion, exploitation, and parasitism. Predators aren’t “selfish”—they’re short‑range, self‑destructive, and irrational.
❌ “It’s just an excuse to do whatever you want.”
She draws a hard boundary between whim and #reason. Her ethics demands long‑range thinking, integrity, and principled action — the opposite of impulse.
❌ “#Objectivism celebrates cruelty.”
The introduction explicitly rejects cruelty as irrational. Benevolence is not only compatible with #egoism—it’s a natural expression of a rational, confident person.
❌ “Rand denies moral principles.”
She denies sacrifice as a moral ideal. She does not deny #morality. She argues for a code rooted in reality, reason, and the requirements of human life.
If you want to understand the argument instead of the mythology, read the primary source--it’s short, sharp, and surprisingly accessible.
Read more for context on the full book, editions, and themes.
#philosophy #individualism #reading #nonfiction #ideas #bookstodon
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A little late for #GivingTuesday, but I’ve set up an online #donation campaign for the #AynRand Institute for my upcoming birthday! Help me create a culture in which individuals are free to pursue their own happiness!
#Objectivism #charity #giving #AtlasShrugged #TheFountainhead #Fountainhead #Anthem #reality #reason #egoism #capitalism #RomanticRealism #America #USA #UnitedStates #LaissezFaire #individualism #IndividualRights