This is not a book review; this is a reflection of my thoughts.

One of the first demands my now-wife placed on me, after entering courtship and the possibility of a relationship, is that I read Fountainhead. I have tried several times since and have been unable to finish the book, because, I now realize, I am just incapable of reading fiction (and I was intimidated by big books).

As a fundamental premise, on life in general, I feel strongly that we have to figure things out ourselves. We have to make our choices of values, philosophy, faith, dogma or any “system” in the broadest sense. I do not subscribe to any thoughts because someone said so or someone thought I should and neither because I am inspired by someone and that someone believes in a certain virtue.

This is probably why, when I had finished the first few chapters of Rand’s book on the virtue of selfishness, when my wife asked me what I thought, I earnestly said the exact words that occurred in my mind — “she (Rand) agrees with me”

To be leftist or rightist, to be pro-life or pro-choice, to be pro-gun control or not, to be a theist or not, to buy insurance or not, to engage in philanthropy or not, to be pro-euthanasia or anti-euthanasia, to be selfish or not, to be a cog or a linchpin — all are choices we make. And I’d like to believe that, in my case, most, if not all, of these thoughts are original, uninhibited and a result of my choices, with full cognition of the fact that I am not immune to influences.

Thank you for reading.