This blog post is all about the life lessons from Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I’m going to share with you the most important concepts that are found throughout Atlas Shrugged.
This book is an absolute must-read for all college students, entrepreneurs, business owners, or anyone who wants to succeed in this world. The best part about it? You don’t have to read through 1000 pages of text because I will give you a summary of all the important points that will help shape your future success.
1. Being stubborn about your principles is a good thing
Rand’s birthday is known as “The Day of Independence” in the U.S. because it was on her birthday that America declared its independence from England.
She believed that “the most selfish of all things is the independent mind that recognizes no authority higher than its own and no value higher than its judgment of truth.”
She believed that the only way to be happy is by living for your own sake and not for the sake of others.
2. The importance of love
Rand describes love as “the expression of philosophy—of a subconscious philosophical sum—of a man’s view of life.”
If you want to love someone, you have to be a certain kind of person. So you need to love yourself first, and then that will naturally overflow into the world around you.
3. The best way to find an answer is by asking the right questions
To find the truth, she suggests asking yourself, “How do I know it’s true? How can I prove it? What are the facts?”
In this way, you’re not just taking things at face value. Instead, you’re learning to become a person who hates being wrong because it means that their whole worldview has to change.
4. Don’t be afraid of failure or loss
Instead, embrace them since they teach you important lessons about yourself and how you can improve. For example, “No matter how often you’re defeated, you’re never defeated. On the contrary, you’re one step ahead since you learn from your mistakes and thus move closer to your goals.”
5. Find an idol and strive to be like them
Instead of following other people blindly, choose a person who embodies the morality you want to live by and then imitates them. For example, “The moral objective of one’s life is to be happy, according to their worldview..”
Then you’ll be on your way to becoming one of the greats who has changed the world for good.
6. There are no shortcuts; you have to earn everything on your own
“Intellectual freedom cannot exist without political freedom; political freedom cannot exist without economic freedom; a free mind and a free market are corollaries.”
She talks about how people spend their lives waiting for the “right time, right place, right conditions” to do what they want. But in reality, it’s up to you and no one else to make your dreams a reality.
7. Cultivate friendships with people who will lift you higher
“The man who is convinced of the futility of life is not far from suicide; he does not believe in anything … He has seen all the contradictions of material existence, and he has nothing left to see.”
Success comes much easier when you’re around positive and ambitious people who motivate you to set lofty goals and work hard to achieve them. Conversely, there’s no point in wasting your time with pessimistic people who can only bring you down.
8. You should always be evolving as a person and be open to change
“The only man who is educated is the man who has learned how to learn and change.”
Always strive to be a better person than you were yesterday. If you’re not, then it just means that you’re getting worse. Accept criticism from others and apply it to yourself so that you can grow as an individual. You’ll soon find yourself becoming more aware in a natural way.
9. Your thoughts and feelings matter just as much as your actions
“You can fake virtue for an audience … but you can’t fake it in your mind.”
It isn’t enough to do good deeds and then expect the world to shower you with praise and admiration. You need to carry out those acts for yourself and appreciate the good that you do. Don’t become too concerned with what other people think of you because, in the end, it will come back to bite you.
10. Life is dynamic and ever-changing
“Man must-see, in the products of his mind, not only the results but the cause; he must grasp that his life is the expression of his thought.”
You should never get too used to who you are because there’s always room for improvement. Instead, take criticism seriously and use it to motivate yourself to be a better person personally and professionally.
11. You can’t make a fool of yourself if you understand the nature of reality
“The only stupidities that are possible are those that attempt to break through the unbreakable laws of one’s own being.”
When you’re feeling down or questioning yourself, read this quote to remind yourself that it’s not worth investing any energy into pointless thoughts. Instead, look for the lesson from your mistake and move on knowing that you’ve learned something important about reality.
12. Don’t let other people’s opinions of you influence you too much
“You will always be afraid of the unknown because it is unknown. But anything is better than being afraid, and the unknown is only unknown because you have not discovered it.”
Ultimately, what other people think of you doesn’t matter as much as your own perspective. So don’t drift along with the whims of society but instead, be smart enough to make your own decisions based on rational thought. You’ll soon find that you’re much happier when the ignorance of others does not influence you.
13. Don’t get hung up on your failures. Learn from them instead
“The most wasteful human labour-power of all is that of men who spend their working hours in the fabrication of Thursday afternoons.”
Remember that every failure is an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and then apply that knowledge to future projects. It’s far more productive to look for the lessons in your pain instead of letting it fade away into nothingness.
14. Don’t let fear hold back your dreams
“I thought, if they were my last words, I would say something important … Well, what was it?”
Sometimes it’s okay to act impulsive – remember that you’re strong enough to deal with the consequences. Fear is only an illusion, and if you follow your dreams, you can’t ever fail because failure isn’t possible.
15. Stay true to yourself
“You must know that I would never have let things go so far if I had not known, with full certainty, that you would take the right course of action in the end.”
It’s okay to be selfish sometimes because you need to put yourself first. Being true to yourself is an important part of who you are, and you can’t let other people undermine your confidence. They don’t truly know who you are, so don’t take it too personally.
16. Your value as a person shouldn’t be based on what society thinks of you
“In any issue, form your own opinion and express it – don’t accept someone else’s.”
Don’t let other people tell you who you should or shouldn’t be. There is no wrong or right in this world because life is a subjective experience. A person’s worth isn’t established by how other people perceive them, so don’t base your self-esteem on social values.
17. Don’t let anybody tell you that what you want to do is wrong
“I am not about to repeat the obvious, that living beings have to be sustained by food, and therefore require the action of means of getting food.”
You’re allowed to follow your dreams and do what you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody. Unfortunately, society has conditioned us into thinking that we need to play by their rules, but life is much more fulfilling when you aren’t under someone else’s control.
18. Be honest and do what you say you’re going to do
“You don’t need me to tell you that man’s character is his fate.”
When you make a mistake, admit your faults and apologize because it isn’t worth losing someone over a lie. When people trust you, they’ll be more likely to support you and go the extra mile.
19. Don’t take shortcuts if they can do more harm than good
“Achievement is its road to happiness, and unhappiness is the cost of any shortcut.”
Don’t follow a shortcut too quickly because there’s usually a reason why something isn’t already simple. But, on the other hand, you should never take the easy road and risk your success because there’s no point in compromising your integrity.
20. Don’t be afraid of things that you don’t understand
“Nothing is frightening about a factory, properly illuminated.”
You’re allowed to feel fear, but it shouldn’t hold you back from trying new experiences. Be brave enough to go into things with an open mind because you never know what’s going to happen until you try.
Conclusion: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand’s timeless novel, Atlas Shrugged, is filled with hundreds of life lessons that are both helpful and entertaining. By applying even one of these principles to your daily routine, you’ll be able to live a more fulfilling life. So what are some other lessons that resonate with you?