The last word of Ayn Rand’s dystopian novella Anthem is “EGO.” Grasping the significance of this forbidden word is a kind of divine revelation for the novel’s protagonist, signaling his emancipation from the benighted, collectivist society into which he was born. I read Anthem in the 8th grade and, like many adolescents introduced to Rand’s seductive brand of egoism, I was attracted to her heroic depiction of strong-willed, self-reliant individuals fighting against the mediocrity and stupidity of society. I can’t say I ever had an Ayn Rand phase – my childhood fantasy world was populated instead with hobbits, wizards and elves – but I understand why many teenagers do. Adolescence is a restless stage when young people test the boundaries of their world, often questioning the authority of parents, teachers and preachers for the first time. Rand captures something of that rebellious attitude. But her novels also appeal to teenagers because they validate a tendency in full bloom at that age: selfishness…

Continue reading @ The Antidote to Ayn Rand.