[mistermann]

> I use Any Randian to describe those who publicly cite her and they tend to have a certain political philosophy that is best described by me as, "I've got mine, fuck you."

a) Do you think it is responsible to be opaque on whom you are attributing the belief to, particularly considering the topic of conversation and the fact that her warnings on the matter were clear?

b) These people you cite, are they Ayn Rand supporters, or critics who "think", despite no actual evidence beyond 4th hand also-uneducated opinions, that Rand's philosophy was anything remotely resembling "I've got mine, fuck you." Here's a fun experiment: try to google up a statement by an actual Objectivism supporter that supports anything near that sentiment, and observe how many false hits you get of the latter in your search.

> I'm not critiquing her personally or her philosophy.

Of those HN'ers who hold an opinion on Rand, you belong to a very exclusive club in my experience. Regardless, your sentiment now being explicit is good enough for me, thanks for straightening it out.

[sykhic]

There is colloquial and there is technical usage of terms. I’m speaking colloquially. Like some people generally refer to the US as a Christian nation. They typically mean this in the sense of history or values and don’t necessarily mean to say that a majority of the population fits their personal definition of what a Christian is.

[mistermann]

I don't understand what this is referring to or how this is relevant, could you state it in a simpler manner?

[sykhic]

I don't think I can. I gave an example of how people speak colloquially. For instance, one can mention Christianity in a discussion but that term means different things to different people. People will say things like, "Christians believe this..." without it being literally true. Most people speak colloquially and not in a technical sense. The phrase "Ayn Randian paradise" does not imply the sort of paradise envisioned by Ayn Rand. It's a reference to a belief commonly held by people who nominally agree with Ayn Rand's view as they understand it to be.

[mistermann]

> It's a reference to a belief commonly held by people who nominally agree with Ayn Rand's view as they understand it to be.

I asked a question specifically about that above, see: (b)

Is asking for substantiation of a claim, an insulting claim at that, now considered improper etiquette around these parts?

Ask yourself this: how do you know this to be true? Can you share where you've encountered Randians in sufficient numbers to form an opinion with high certainty? And, can you no longer find any trace of these people and their words?

[sykhic]

As with most beliefs my belief about "Ayn Randians" comes from anecdotal experience. I can't cite a study or source. Just going by my experience with such people.

[mistermann]

Some beliefs are based on facts, others on anecdotal experience, sometimes the difference matters and should not be left ambiguous (in case you were wondering where my determination comes from).

Thank you for the courtesy.