Reply #15: My own flirtation with Rand/Objectivism was a pesky thing that died hard..

[southpaw]

It's philosophically weak and poorly written, but those romantic characters (Howard Roark, Dominique Francon, Dagney Taggart, Hank Rearden, John Galt...) are appealing to young college students who want to believe in their ability to do things their own way in a world that demands conformity. Failure becomes a virtue when you are convinced that it is the result of the system keeping you down because they fear your staunch self-reliance.

Rand's philosophy is a classic case of overcorrection. She fled communism and ran to the extreme opposite end of the playing field...