Objectivism: the road never taken

I logged into to my blogger today and I was shocked to see that my last blog was in December 2009. Seems like I went through a writers block (if that's applicable to me :-P). A lot of fans, critics and some spies were left wondering what I was upto. An avid critic of mine requested that I get back to writing again, so here I am attempting to tackle a very strong personal issue and an issue that is hidden in the deepest corners of our Indian mind.

First of all it is more of a desire compared to an issue, I am sorry, you must be wondering what issue/desire I am talking about, well I am talking about financial independence or self sufficiency.

I wonder if this issue/desire ever comes across the minds of our age group because a cognitive mind will always feel the need to be free or to be self sufficient. It could be the day you decide that you want to stop sleeping in the sweltering heat of Mumbai and get yourself an air-conditioner and try and pay the electricity bills or buying your first car, bike, LCD tv or a laptop. These are the very first thoughts and steps towards being free. In retrospect however one could say that this desire for materials, isn't it driven by selfish motives and here I begin to wonder, what has selfless motives and action given any one? Road to personal nirvana has never been selflessness, it has always been and always remain selfishness. It's no surprise that Ayn Rand never rings a bell in peoples mind since her theories were established in 1950's. Although her theories were drafted in 1950's its application has been relevant for the most part of the our modern times. Ayn Rand developed the term called 'objectivism' and what she meant was "the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness or rational self-interest". Come to think of it, it could be said that America's growth in this century is down to objectivism.

Objectivism is applicable in our day to day life and forms the very basis of our freedom. It's a very disturbing fact that we still live with our parents dictated by our Indian logic and I am not trying to point fingers here because I am one of them too, however what separates me and many young dreamers is that we want to be self sufficient and we want to be objectivists. I have been fortunate enough to go through a trial run of this and trust me its not as easy as it seems, its challenging, scary and terrifying but when you get the hang of it you will wake up proud everyday knowing the fact that now you stand on your feet not supported by anyone. The biggest question isn't how to start this journey, it's when to start this journey. Just like a mountain expedition requires training, skills, equipment and guts , objectivism requires courage, strong self belief and a stable economic condition. When you have these three vital ingredients you can start your journey. Getting out of the house is the first step, rent out your first apartment, experience how it feels to be in an apartment all alone, start paying for those everyday basics we took for granted before.

After a few days you realise this is your fortress, this your kingdom and what does a good king do, he makes his kingdom strong every single day. In a year's time you will realise how far you have ventured outside your comfort zone and how free you feel.

You may have to make a lot sacrifices that could include anything from cooking for yourself to missing your family but remember freedom needs sacrifices. I hope this blog helps people realise where you stand in your journey, not everyone would want to take this ride but hey objectivism wasn't meant for everyone.

Ask yourself today, what do you really want in the next 10 years and if your answer is settle down, boss you need to rethink your approach. If your interested in knowing Ayn Rand and her work you can read about her by clicking on the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand.

Cheers,

Vin