The Rational Mind

You should be wondering about the title , and what this particular blog is about. My interest has been to binge on reading books for quite long and if you asked me which one in particular percolated my cerebrum that would be writer-philosopher Ayn Rand. And I wish to share what my left hemisphere processed on the philosophy written in her book Fountainhead.

Can you always be reasonable,  do you take logical decision, do you have a sound mind, and alas do you think man is a rational being?

I can hear you answer and I as well agree that we live in a world which mirrors our expectations and attitude. It's masked by our illusion and finding reality requires persistence. But that should be fine to live in the world perceived by you, ultimately you know yourself better here. With that let me introduce the main characters in this book with their ideologies.

Ayn Rand has portrayed two kinds of beings, One who is uncompromised and the Second who live through others. I have tried to bring alive these characters below and remember you have to be rational enough to understand them, think through and not be judgmental.

Howard Roark a young Architect - The ideal man who is boundless.
A boy who was expelled from the school of architecture because he contradicted every principle that was taught and did not see the purpose in learning something which he wouldn’t build or doing the conventional way by following the traditional. He did not want to take up any work which he wouldn’t enjoy and had set his own standards. He wanted people to come to him for his designs than he selling himself for any work. And what will further strike you is he did not want to merely fit into this world but would stand out fearlessly to the extent that he was unstoppable. He is that star that just shines and does not compete with other stars around it. He only found reason in his on being.

As Ayn Rand mentions this character is an end in himself.

Dominique Francon a writer - The beloved for eternity.

A girl who finds immense sense of pride in her being. She pushed her limits to the extent of destruction of self. She stood against him so he could remain, so that others could see the existence of this man’s being which comes from being guiltless, forgiving, seeing truth, living up to best possible. And this is what meant for them the sacred place. Even the unstated silence between them gave meaning to the minutes. She who choose to suffer because she couldn’t live a life split between him and that which exists. Her love for him was so much that the rest was beyond acceptance. And she could live for him in her thoughts.

Both truly deserved each other still he let her go because he knew that in those three magical words the “I” demands and he couldn’t be selfish. I believe that if there is someone with whom in silence the most beautiful words were those which were not needed, then you have found your soulmate.

From the rest of the beings in the volume, what we hear is the opinion not fact and what we see is the perspective not truth.

You can be taught to think, to believe, to listen but only when you feel, you are nobody but self.

Now probably the book title Fountainhead makes better sense because

           A Rational Mind,
                              Thinks forward,
                                     Acts on their will,
                                              Speaks with intellect and
                                                        Lives with no expectations.

The spirit of this mind is mysticism, where your soul is infinite and all is mind.

I would call myself a rational being only because I can penetrate into thoughts and derive values from ones own thoughts.

 I think therefore I am.

 #thinkbeyond