Speaking freely

A few months ago, my husband recommended that I read RationalJenn's blog. That event turned out to create a major change in my life. I discovered that I was not alone in applying rational principles & reason to parenting. There were people out there who came together to interact and learn with the single purpose of raising independent self-confident individuals that hold objective reality, a man's mind and independence above all else.

But there was more.  I learned that there are people out there unafraid of sharing their controversial views, advocating free market, capitalism, free speech and other principles of a rational society in a public forum. I grew up Jewish, in Russia, both ashamed and proud of what I was. I never disclosed it to acquaintances, sharing the momentous information with those I trusted, feeling bold and a little scared. As a young adult, I discovered the ideas of Ayn Rand and swapped one dirty secret for another, one I kept even more hidden, repeating the patterns I developed as a child.

Reading Paul Hsieh's Free Speech: Use it or lose it, I realized the tremendous value in speaking about the principles that govern my life. It is because of people like Diana Hsieh, Jenn Casey, Ari Armstrong and many others who write about the principles for a better philosophy, better life and better society, that I feel that the world is full of those who value reason, even if my immediate surroundings speak to the contrary.

With the outcry against Obama care, people have woken up and activism (and patriotism, as always, alongside it), is on the rise as is the popularity of Atlas Shrugged among those who are looking for answers in the chaos our culture has become. This means, there is a new generation of thinkers questioning ideas, wondering about the proper way to live and to get along, and looking for support from those who have chosen to live a life of reason. Leonard Peikoff is doing wonders for helping novices and veterans alike understand how to apply the ideas of Objectivism to everyday life. And if every one of us follows in his steps and speaks about what they live by, so much is possible!

I have realized how important this recognition is in parenting (yeah, back to that now!) I am constantly faced with questions (usually presented by relatives) what should my atheist child be raised to say to those who talk about god? Are the social consequences of being an intellectual outcast worth it? Should we ask a four-year-old to refrain from mentioning, he believes Santa Clause is a fairy tale rather than reality? Will other parents remove their kids from social interactions with ours to protect them from the outrageous truth he speaks so confidently?

The answer is, no amount of social stigma is worth raising a child who is ashamed of who he is or his principles. He will learn to navigate the social landscape as he grows and nothing is more important than real self-confidence for him to do it successfully. Anything that robs him of that creates disastrous consequences for his success as an individual. In the meantime, who knows, he might do some good for those whose minds are ready to ask the right questions.