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Ayn Rand

Posted by: Kendall Meade
(25 Oct 2008)

just saw this and it made me think:

"Thinking is man's only basic virtue, from which all others proceed.

and his basic vice, the source of all his evils, is that nameless act which all of you practice, but struggle never to admit: the act of blanking out, the willful suspension of one's conciousness, the refusal to think: not blindness, but the refusal to see: not ignorance, but the refusal to know."

remember
Every Dollar Counts

Comment by: Annie
(26 Oct 2008)

Zyphyre said ignorance is merit

Comment by: Kendall Meade
(26 Oct 2008)

if ignorance is really merit, how would anybody know?

Comment by: Kendall Meade
(26 Oct 2008)

aah, yes, the other thought I came to tack on to the end of this: "free speach is what enables people to express their disagreement with it."

Comment by: Ralph van den Berg
(26 Oct 2008)

"The refusal to know" maybe it's just a question of not willing to ruin the surprise?

Comment by: Kendall Meade
(28 Oct 2008)

yeah, but for how long? and for that matter, if you refuse to know something, how can you know if it's a surprise or not? I don't know. I'll just wait until some better idea comes along. I bet I'll be surprised by the answer.

Comment by: Ralph van den Berg
(28 Oct 2008)

In a sense, you could know that you don't know something, thus knowing you'll be surprised (pleasantly or not) when you find out. I know, for example, that I don't know if the hypothetical party tonight is going to be any good... The best thing I could do is "find out for myself" right? In a way, "the refusal to know" is not so bad if you re-word it a little: "The refusal to know for now, so as not to ruin the surprise." The comments in this rambling are growing similar to the ones for the rambling: Knowing the Truth (or not), about 3 ramblings back.

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