The whole point of “objectivism” is that I “objectively” evaluate what is best. Since I am objective, I am right. If anybody disagrees, they must be _sub_jective, and therefore wrong. (Note that in one of her books she proves objectively that tap dance is the highest form of art. I swear I’m not making this up.)
I cannot fathom how the illogic of this position didn’t just jump out at her. Her private life was absolute chaos near the end - she was constantly excommunicating her followers, including her lover. I suspect she was realizing, when it was too late, that her philosophy was bunk, but she had too much invested to admit it. Cf: Sunk cost fallacy.
Today she is almost universally recognized as an awful writer and an awful philosopher. But for successful young douchebags, (including me at 20,) she justifies their douchebaggery, and so her name will live forever with a certain demographic.
Some people never outgrow her. Paul Ryan. Alan Greenspan. There are many others.
