In Asaami Asaami, PL has made one
statement through the protagonist DB Joshi that no one needs to do anything
special to keep this world going. (Ref; He wonders how his Benson Johnson
company runs without anyone doing any significant work). In fact this fictional
statement is exactly opposite to the entire life and philosophy of PL in person. This statement can be interpreted as totally
sarcastic. Sarcasm of PL is inherited from his role model P G Wodehouse who
while being totally elitist in his approach as he depicted castle and lords of
Victorian England. But then he was the most scathing critic of that class. In
same note PL has been branded to be Middle class icon. Though PL is not ultra
critical on this wrongfully maligned community but nevertheless has some master
strokes of self deprecating humour. Going back to topic of world surviving on
hard work of few, no one in literature has described it as strongly as Ayn Rand
and her objectivism philosophy. Her thoughts have had a great impact on me
personally. I do not totally agree with Ayn Rand on every aspect and I sense a
lot of immaturity in her writing (though I don’t claim to be arm chair philosopher
or great reviewer and it’s my personal observation as I stand nobody in
comparison to stature of Ayn Rand) and black and white portrayal of characters
which in real life which you cannot. As I complete 20 years of my first reading
of Fountainhead, especially since its Durga Pooja time, some very fond memories
rush back.
Flash back to the Durga pooja
vacations in 1993. We in the IIT system, had two major vacations: between
semesters in Dec and long 3 months in summer after completion of the year. Kharagpur was an exception where we had
three vacations. We had a week long break in Navaratri time when whole Bengal
celebrated Pooja shutdown. I think everything remains same after 20 years. So
we the gang of students from Mumbai, Pune and far off places had a chance to go
home only then unlike local Kolkata and nearby crowds who could go home on
weekends. Our first journey in ‘92 Poojas was an adventure when Geetanjali exp
got derailed. But as we entered second
year the journey got bit monotonous as it was of 36 hours. One really needed a
good book to kill time especially during the journey back to KGP. Journey to
home always was more exciting. Added to that, we had 3 hrs halt at Kalyan as
there was no direct train to Kolkata then. Coming to ’93, I experienced
personal emotional event when someone exited from life, an event typical for
that age. Those were gloomy days. And end semester exams were close. But still
then you needed a book to read, and there was one black covered book lying in
house maybe bought by my uncle. I had no interest to read that but it was very
late to go to buy a book. So just took a chance and packed it. And then it
changed my life.
Next 20 odd days which I took to
read the book changed a lot of things at that impressionable age. What a set of
characters and what a narration!! The central character of Howard Roark, the author
unsupported character of incomprehensible Domnic Francon, great character of
media baron Gail Wynand and slimy one of Elsworth Toohey. But what scared then
most was to be someone like the character of Peter Keating. As in IIT system we
were mostly all blue eyed Keatings who had to get into world for lack of real engineering
skills or interest except for very few who wanted to. Suddenly there was new purpose and seriousness
to learn basics and do something good. Keating is the one who thrives on others
excellence or hard work to survive and take credit and gain worldly returns. Thus
i firmly believe, contrary to the imaginary D B Joshi, that it takes few good
hardworking men to keep system running. Imagine honest IAS/IPS officers taking
on system. Imagine well meaning employees in corrupt governance systems.
Imagine few key PMs and techies managing whole project amidst loads of good for
nothing and pampered project teams involving QAs, BA s, TLs, MLs and so on.
Every organization has those. These people are driven by sense of ownership,
excellence and achievement and not by external drivers. Search around you in
your work place, you will find them whichever might be your domain etc. But then do all get recognition, some do. Most
of these ‘first handers’ as defined by Ayn Rand go unsung. As an example we all
know architect of so called Param but not the real creative minds. We all know
NR N but not the other key people at the start of Infosys. If anyone has seen
movies like ‘The pirates of silicon valley’ or ‘social network’, fact still
gets underlined. Not that all these people were not ‘first handers’, but apart
from that you need some special skill sets to get recognized and make it big as
beautifully explained by Malcomn Gladwell in Outliers. And mostly world has
tendency to worship false heroes. But those driven by objectivism don’t care
and they march on.
Twenty years of gone by.
Professional and person life has given very great experiences but was always
helped by Objectivism.
But then in life one faces many ‘Keatings’,
one sees many ‘Roarks’ who toil hard for lack of credit and fair returns except
their own self actualization. In fact, motivated by Ayn Rand i have also tried
to be ‘Gail Wynand’ the mass motivator. I was in same boat of Howard Roark’s many
a times, betrayed by ‘Keatings’ and the master scheme of world. But my
objectivism was driven by slightly unfashionable motivation and was slightly
intangible in form of the nature of work which I liked in those years. And I
had to pay price for that. But ultimately objectivism is what mattered and
triumphed in the end as per my own standards and not to be judged by anyone.
That is the biggest learning I have got from books of objectivism. And it acts
like strength during moments of doubt.
Then read every other book of Ayn
Rand. Atlas shrugged is a kind of strike by people who really drive the things against
the exploiters who in name of altruism manipulate the excellence. Ayn Rand
lived in the time of communism vs capitalism. Also read ‘we the people’, and many
non fictions as well.
This really was an inspired
writing based on philosophy, politics and world situation then. Hats off to the
great Ayn Rand.
Wish to continue objectivism which
is now more matured with my own age, next decade and beyond.
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