Live the Dharma

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I’ve been reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand and besides being extremely impressed wih the quality of the writing itself, I am fascinated with the character of Howard Roark. If you haven’t read the book (I highly recommend it), Howard Roark is a man defined by his integrity. In this instance, integrity is defined as the standing by one’s beliefs regardless of the consequences. In the book, Roark’s integrity costs him his career, his love, and his friends but earns him the respect of friends and enemies in the process.

It seems to me, that there is far to little of this in our world. Although I cannot brag about my flawless integrity, I really try to stand by my beliefs the best that I can. Too many people live without belief so much as that they are willing to accept every little nudge towards a belief made for them. The media defines beliefs in such a way that I cannot tell where the truth is anymore and most people don’t know who to trust. We feed lies to ourselves and others in such a selfish way that it is hard not to believe we haven’t corrupted our souls.

Sometimes when I ponder the future of humanity and our current course, it looks like a trainwreck waiting to happen. It almost feels like we are all walking around with question marks over our heads pretending that we know what is going on but really feeling like a mess.

It is my belief that a lack of integrity has left humankind open to ignorance and as a result is lost. It is difficult to risk our lives for out beliefs, but we have to remember that we are all on the road towards death regardless, and if we keep our heads in the sand or convince ourselves otherwise the end will not be as peaceful as we like to imagine.

Again, I’m not trying to preach because I am not perfect at all, but the momentum of one person can carry an entire era.  We need more people to fight against the current and to help redirect it. Howard Roark believed in following his instinct and his path at great costs. I believe in truth, hope, and passion. What do you believe in?

Tags: Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Fountainhead, Howard Roark, Movements, Objectivism, People, Philosophy