An attempt to gain a value by deceiving the mind of others is an act of raising your victims to a position higher than reality.
John GaltI do not enter discussions with neighbors who think they can forbid me to think. I do not place my moral sanction upon a murderer's wish to kill me. When a man attempts to deal with me by force, I answer him-by force.
John GaltThe self you have betrayed is your mind; self-esteem is reliance on oneโs power to think. The ego you seek, that essential โyouโ which you cannot express or define, is not your emotions or inarticulate dreams, but your intellect, that judge of your supreme tribunal whom youโve impeached in order to drift at the mercy of any stray shyster you describe as your โfeeling.โ
John GaltMan'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...To remain alive, he must think.
John Galt