To say 'I love you' one must first be able to say the 'I.'
Ayn RandRead
Ideas are the greatest and most crucially practical power on earth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Ideas shape our world and are essential for practical change and progress.
In this quote, Ayn Rand emphasizes the transformative power of ideas, suggesting that they are not only fundamental to the human experience but also serve as the driving force behind practical advancements and change in society. Rather than mere concepts, ideas have the capacity to influence actions, drive innovation, and ultimately determine the course of human events.
Themes
IdeasPowerChangeProgressInnovation
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about entrepreneurship.
More from Ayn Rand
All quotes βThe difference between animals and humans is that animals change themselves for the environment, but humans change the environment for themselves.
Ayn RandRead
It is my eyes which see, and the sight of my eyes grants beauty to the earth. It is my ears which hear, and the hearing of my ears gives its song to the world. It is my mind which thinks, and the judgement of my mind is the only searchlight that can find the truth. It is my will which chooses, and the choice of my will is the only edict I must respect.
Ayn RandRead
What is the basic, the essential, the crucial principle that differentiates freedom from slavery? It is the principle of voluntary action versus physical coercion or compulsion.
Ayn RandRead
One method of destroying a concept is by diluting its meaning. Observe that by ascribing rights to the unborn, i.e., the nonliving, the anti-abortionists obliterate the rights of the living.
Ayn RandRead
I think that when in doubt about the truth of an issue, it's safer and in better taste to select the least numerous of the adversaries.
Ayn RandRead
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Reality television is to television what marble and gold are to real estate. The point is to dispense with the idea of taste. It's all id. The more unrestrained the better. We all know that 'reality' in reality television is not real. That anybody who would participate in reality television is a fake. But pretending otherwise makes them real.
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The difficulties which I meet with in order to realize my existence are precisely what awaken and mobilize my activities, my capacities.
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It is not true that evil, destructiveness , and perversion inevitably form part of human existence, no matter how often this is maintained. But it is true that we are daily producing more evil and, with it, an ocean of suffering for millions that is absolutely avoidable. When one day the ignorance arising from childhood repression is eliminated and humanity has awakened, an end can be put to this production of evil.
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All our scientific and philosophic ideals are altars to unknown gods.
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Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force...Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.
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Possibly it had occurred to him the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. [...] It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.
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