One can study what exists and how consciousness functions; but one cannot analyze (or “prove”) existence as such, … - Ayn Rand

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Am I a good person? Deep down, do I even really want to be a good person, or do I only want to seem like a good person so that people (including myself) will approve of me? Is there a difference? How do I ever actually know whether I'm bullshitting myself, morally speaking?

Ayn Rand

One can study what exists and how consciousness functions; but one cannot analyze (or “prove”) existence as such, or consciousness as such. These are irreducible primaries. (An attempt to “prove” them is self-contradict ory: it is an attempt to “prove” existence by means of nonexistence, and consciousness by means of unconsciousness. )

Irreducible, Mean, Ory, Self, Study, Unconsciousness

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The majority of those who are loosely identified by the term 'liberals' are afraid to let themselves discover that what they advocate is statism. They want to keep all the advantages and effects of capitalism, while destroying the cause, and they want to establish statism without its necessary effects. They do not want to know or to admit that they are the champions of dictatorship and slavery.

Champion, Dictatorship, Discover, Majority, Slavery

When you have established that one alternative is good and the other is evil, there is no justification for the choice of a mixture. There is no justification ever for choosing any part of what you know to be evil.

Alternatives, Choice, Choices, Choosing, Evil, Justification

America’s founding ideal was the principle of individual rights. Nothing more-and nothing less. The rest-everything that America achieved, everything she became, everything 'noble and just,' and heroic, and great, and unprecedented in human history-was the logical consequence of fidelity to that one principle.

America, Rights, Unprecedented, Usa

A society that robs an individual of the product of his effort. . . is not strictly speaking a society, but a mob held together by institutionalized gang violence.

Effort, Liberty, Speaking, Strictly, Together

One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary.

Consists, Destroy, Feet, Hands, Necessary, Ties