Can you step on the moon alone ? . Review on FountainHead, The - Ayn Rand

I am about to write a review that ’’DOES NOT RECOMMEND’’ Fountainhead

Ayn fans are going to hit me with their Individualistic slipper.

:-)

But I am going to write this review anyway.

Yeah, I read this book. And I don’t agree with Ayn philosophy completely.

Here are some of the reasons why

Individualism Vs Collectivism

This

book gives an impression that Individualism is right and collectivism is wrong. This is a generalisation and is not always right. Some tasks are better done individually and some tasks are better done collectively. Let me give an example.

The americans put a man on the moon. Do you really think Armstrong could have gone to the moon himself however individualistic or technically talented he might have been ? no.

Some tasks are better done Individually, like painting a landscape from your imagination.

A person should always take advantage of expertise of people. You cannot be an expert in everything. And some tasks need more than one field of experience.

The World against Roark

The book gives an impression that the whole world is against an Individual or his/her uniquely creative idea. This is not always true. If fact the opposite is true. The world appreciates a unique idea more than a ghissa pitta idea. Again, don’t generalise.

The road less travelled is the right road ?

The road less travelled is not always the right road. People are not stupid. And you are stupid if you don’t take advantage of collective intelligence.

Yes, it is possible that a better ’road’ has not been discovered yet. But you will have to use your judgement there and not just take it because it is less travelled.

Whats wrong with talking to people ?

Throughout the course of this book, the hero Roark rarely talks and answers in monosyllables on single sentences. He is supremely not interested in people and interested only in architecture. My question is, why ? Whats wrong with knowing people, being friends, understanding somebody else’s creative work ?

I appreciate the fact that Ayn has thought up a (until then)new ideology that is giving a lot of people a lot to think about. That way even Socialism, Communism ...etc were new ideas when they were proposed. And I appreciate people who thought it up. But that does not mean I agree.

I don’t like this book. I think it confuses people and makes them more naive, aggressive towards society in general.

The world is not against you or your ideas. So don’t worry, make friends, understand people ....... basically just chill.