“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.” – Ayn Rand
WHERE do our beliefs come from? Can we change our thinking at will? To what extent does our self-interest control our conclusions? How reliable are our words?
During gatherings, I mostly keep quiet. I busy myself listening. And the longer I listen, the clearer the patterns of conversation become. The intentions rise to the surface. The words project the character of the speaker. I know why the person said this instead of that.
More than listening, I am observing. And most of the time, we repeat ourselves. Unconsciously. Indeed, the world is a stage — in an unending loop.
Eventually, I learned that some would choose to be more truthful. Others would choose to be less authentic. While some say what they think is true, others say the truth. In conversations, we either thicken our masks or let go of our pretenses.
1. Man as a heroic being
To truly live, is to die trying to live our truth. The irony is that the value of a worthy life is measured by one’s willingness to fight for something more important than one’s life. The self is insignificant without self-sacrifice.
To slay the dragon and save the damsel in distress is more than just a fairy tale plot. It is a metaphor that defines the inner core of a man’s heart. Give him a sword and let him defend himself to save others. Allow him to feel the power of his strength and see the outcome of his struggle. Let him see death face to face.
Let him bleed and realize the pain of weakness and cowardice. Give him the chance to prove himself relying on his purpose and aim. Allow him to learn what true love is. Let him fight for love — to the death.
2. Nobility at work
Work is a battlefield. Expect bloodshed. The enemy does not care if you are feeling well. Shots are fired at your direction — in all directions. The bullets don’t give a damn if you are mentally depressed. And collateral damage is a given scenario. Fair enough.
We work for money, fame, power, influence, or any other personal reason or motive. No one really works for the mission, vision, and goals. Moral principles don’t count in a dog-eat-dog world. Or so they say.
Bilog ang mundo. Karmic retribution goes in circles. So does redemption. An honest work can never be always expected from all of us. We lie — even to our own selves.
With more reason that nobility at work is every man’s responsibility.
3. To reason with integrity
Believe me. Trust me. Follow and obey me. Politicians are very good at these. Empty promises can somehow satisfy a hungry voter. To reason with an ignorant voter is futile.
Office politics is of another dimension. For there is a certain autonomy or sense of control given to an employee. The same task can have different interpretations and results. A mistake may turn out to be an achievement and vice versa.
To thine own self, be true. But falsehood has its own strength and convincing power. For you can be like the gods. Why question this benevolent offer? This sweet promise of greatness? Why consider it as a temptation? What is wrong in being powerful? Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.
“It is right that what is just should be obeyed; it is necessary that what is strongest should be obeyed…” – Blaise Pascal/PN
