Rationalization is a process of not perceiving reality, but of attempting to make reality fit oneโs emotions.
Ayn RandIndependence is the only gauge of human virtue and value. What a man is and makes of himself; not what he has or hasnโt done for others. There is no substitute for personal dignity.
Ayn RandIf a man speculates on what 'society' should do for the poor, he accepts thereby the collectivist premise that men's lives belong to society and that he, as a member of society, has the right to dispose of them...that psychological confession reveals the enormity of the extent to which altruism erodes men's capacity to grasp the concept of rights or the value of an individual life.
Ayn RandMan's mind is his basic tool of survival. Life is given to him, survival is not. His body is given to him, its sustenance is not. His mind is given to him, its content is not. To remain alive, he must act, and before he can act he must know the nature and purpose of his action. He cannot obtain his food without a knowledge of food and of the way to obtain it. He cannot dig a ditch-or build a cyclotron-without a knowledge of his aim and of the means to achieve it. To remain alive, he must think
Ayn Rand