The Ayn Rand Column Quotes

“Do not make the mistake of the ignorant who think that an individualist is a man who says: “I’ll do as I please at everybody else’s expense.” An individualist is a man who recognizes the inalienable individual rights of man—his own and those of others. An individualist is a man who says: “I will not run anyone’s life—nor let anyone run mine. I will not rule nor be ruled. I will not be a master nor a slave. I will not sacrifice myself to anyone—nor sacrifice anyone to myself.” A collectivist is a man who says: “Let’s get together, boys—and then anything goes!”
― Ayn Rand, The Ayn Rand Column

“To say that that which was true in the 17th century cannot possibly be true today, because we travel in jet planes while they traveled in horse carts—is like saying that modern men do not need food, as men did in the past, because they are wearing trenchcoats and slacks, instead-of powdered wigs and hoop skirts.”
― Ayn Rand, The Ayn Rand Column

“For the next few weeks there will be no political discussions in America: we have entered the Season of Platitudes—an election campaign. All issues, principles and definitions vanish during an election campaign. They dissolve into a fog of rubber terms that can mean anything to anyone—while the candidates compete for how to be misunderstood-in the greatest number of ways by the greatest number of people.”
― Ayn Rand, The Ayn Rand Column

“One of the ugliest characteristics of today’s world is the mixture of frantic war preparations with hysterical peace propaganda, and the fact that both come from the same source—from the same political philosophy. If mankind is ever to achieve peace, the first step will be made when people realize that today’s peace movements are not advocates of peace.”
― Ayn Rand, The Ayn Rand Column

“those who are loudest in proclaiming their desire to eliminate poverty are loudest in denouncing capitalism.”
― Ayn Rand, The Ayn Rand Column