I’m Kayla. I spent a full year trying to live by Objectivist ideas (see another perspective from someone who tried Objectivist philosophy for a year). Not just reading. Living it—work, money, friends, all of it. Think: reason first, earn your keep, and love the things you choose on purpose. That’s the heart of it.
You know what? It wasn’t simple. But it did change how I move through my day. If you’re curious about what day-to-day Objectivist living looks like, there are plenty of hands-on reviews.
Why I even tried this
I hit a wall at work. I kept saying yes. I did extra work “for the team,” and my plate stayed full while my pay stayed flat. I felt small, so I went looking for Objectivist meaning in real life. Then I picked up The Fountainhead (a classic starting point if you’re trying Objectivism “Rand style”) after a friend would not stop talking about it. I followed with The Virtue of Selfishness, then Atlas Shrugged. I also took an intro course from the Ayn Rand folks (my honest take on the Objectivist Academic Center). They run the Ayn Rand Institute, which hosts plenty of free talks and archives. I went to one of their conferences last summer too (and yes, here's the real deal on attending an Objectivist conference). The talks were sharp. The hallway chats were… spicy. I even bumped into a few speakers you might recognize from lists of famous Objectivists.
I didn’t turn into a robot. I just got very clear on what I value, and why.
What it means in plain words
If you’re still asking yourself “so what does Objectivist even mean?” here’s my quick, plain-language cheat sheet:
For a concise historical summary, the Objectivism entry in Britannica lays out the basics.
- Think with facts. Feelings matter, but they don’t change reality.
- Your life is yours. So choose goals that are truly yours.
- Trade value for value. At work. In love. In friendship.
- Earn pride. Don’t fake it. Build it.
That’s the pitch. Sounds stern, right? I thought so too. But it helped.
Real stuff I did, not theory
(For another angle on actually living Objectivist ethics for a full year, check out this honest take.)
- Work raise: I made a one-page sheet of the money I saved the team and the wins I led. I booked time with my manager. I asked for a 12% raise. I got 8%. Not 12, but real. The sheet helped me speak calm and clear.
- Pricing my time: I used to do “quick favors” on weekends. Free logos. Free edits. I stopped. I made a simple rate card. A friend balked. I said, “I want to do great work for you. This is my rate.” We’re still friends.
- Saying no to loans: A buddy kept asking to borrow cash. I stopped lending. I offered to help him plan a budget instead. It was tense for a week. Then he thanked me.
- Giving on purpose: I still give. I just give to what I love. I skipped a random fundraiser at work. But I wrote a big check to a teen code club I mentor. I felt joy, not guilt.
- Family care: My mom got sick this spring. Some folks think Objectivists don’t care for others. That’s off. I did her meds chart, cooked, and took her to PT. She’s part of my chosen values. Loving her isn’t a duty. It’s me (here’s one reviewer’s experience of living as a moral Objectivist that echoes this point).
- Fitness: I trained three days a week. Simple lifts. Not for a look. For strength. For me.
Tools and stuff I used
- Books: The Fountainhead. Atlas Shrugged. The Virtue of Selfishness.
- A big one: Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand by Leonard Peikoff. Dense, but helpful.
- Notes app: I kept a “Values” list. Five things. Work craft, family, health, design, and books. If a task didn’t land in there, it was a maybe.
- Blogs binge: I once spent a month reading nothing but Objectivist blogs, jotting what stuck (see what another reader learned in that same experiment).
- For historical essays and interviews that put Rand’s ideas in broader context, the archive at Full Context is a surprisingly deep rabbit hole.
What felt great
- Clarity. I woke up and knew my top three tasks. Fewer fake fires.
- Boundaries. I said no without the knot in my stomach.
- Pride. I shipped a hard feature at work. I let myself feel proud. No shrug. Just, “Yes, I built that.”
What rubbed me wrong
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The vibe online can get cold. Some folks talk like feelings are trash. They aren’t. They’re signals. You still have to think them through.
That gap between principle (respecting property rights) and practice (grabbing whatever you want) pops up all over the internet. If you’re curious—maybe even a bit shocked—about how fast private photos can spread once they hit the web, take a look at this leaked-nudes collection where you can see a real-time example of intimate content being circulated without consent, underscoring why solid boundaries and ownership matter in a digital age. To see a flipside where autonomy and consent are central—rational adults trading value for value in a transparent setting—consider browsing the Harrisburg listings on AdultLook, where verified profiles, safety protocols, and clear expectations help both parties engage responsibly.
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Team life is messy. Pure “me first” can miss the dance of a group project. I learned to trade value, but also to be kind in the moment.
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The tone in some books is sharp. It can push people away before they even try to get the point.
Here’s the twist. I like the stern tone because it wakes you up. But it can turn into a wall. So I softened it when I talked with my team. Same ideas. Warmer words.
Small scenes from my week
- Volunteer day at work: I picked a shift that matched my skills—fixing laptops for the school, not the photo booth. My boss thought I was being picky. I explained my fit and shipped 12 working machines. He got it.
- Team conflict: A co-worker wanted to rush a feature I thought was shaky. I walked through the user data. We cut the scope, saved time, and shipped clean. No yelling. Just facts.
- Holiday gifts: I asked my family to please skip random gifts and help me buy one nice chef’s knife. They laughed. Then we cooked. Worth it.
Who might like this
- Founders, freelancers, makers. If you carry your own weight, this hits home.
- Folks who feel lost in fog. If you need a spine, this gives you one.
Who might hate it? If you want group-first language, or if ethical talk makes you roll your eyes, this might grate.
Tips if you want to try it
- Start small: Keep a “Top Values” list. Five lines, max.
- Read The Virtue of Selfishness first. Short, punchy.
- Track value: Write a weekly “value I created” note. One paragraph.
- Pair it with empathy: I used a simple trick—name the other person’s goal out loud before I push mine. It keeps talks human.
- Meet people in person. The local meetups were warmer than the comment threads (I also tested a bunch of formal Objectivist organizations—here’s what actually helped).
My bottom line
Objectivist ideas gave me a backbone. I still care, maybe even more, because my care is chosen. I won’t pretend it’s perfect. The tone can