I am a big fan of juxtapositions; the idea of putting two disparate concepts side by side to get to a larger truth.
One of my favorite juxtapositions is Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" vs. "Atlas Shrugged."
I find that people who've read both books tend to favor one more deeply.
The Fountainhead is largely a tale about the price one pays for pursuing and maintaining Personal Integrity at all costs.
It's a book about being true to one's self.
Atlas Shrugged is about the Makers vs. the Takers (tell me if you have heard this terminology before).
Atlas Shrugged poses as a book about Creating and Building when it's really a book about Narcissism and Sociopathy.
I say this because it presents a false dichotomy and a cynical view of society and institutions when the truth is more nuanced.
Every bit of infrastructure we have is built by our institutions, and the greatest companies are built on the backs of TEAMS of great people, many of whom never get rewarded or fully appreciated for their efforts.
The idea of a Maker or Taker is core to what is wrong in our society.
It foments the narcissist view of "I create" over the more humble truth that "We built."
It fuels the sociopathic view that great societies can't or shouldn't commit to great health care, great education and safety nets.
It's a relic of a time when the stark choice was between the black hole of communism and totalitarianism, and the optimism and the realm of the possible afforded by capitalism and democracy.
We live in a time where such false dichotomies position capitalism against democracy, where one has to come at the cost of the other, when the more noble path is learning to reconcile and embrace the AND.
Needless to say, I LOVE The Fountainhead and have a gag reflex about Atlas Shrugged.
