My philosophy, in essence, is 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.

There are no little people in America. There are only people, equal before the law, yearning to breathe free and wanting to achieve the best within them.

Roark smiled, "Gail, if this boat were sinking, I'd give my life to save you. Not because it's any kind of duty. Only because I like you, for reasons and standards of my own. I could die for you. But I couldn't and wouldn't live for you.

Don't ever give up what you want in life. The struggle is worth it.

It is not death that we wish to avoid, but life that we wish to live.

Whatever may be open to disagreement, there is one act of evil that may not, the act that no man may commit against others and no man may sanction or forgive. So long as men desire to live together, no man may initiate—do you hear me? no man may start—the use of physical force against others.

You can ignore reality, but you can't ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.