What is guilt? It is moral self-reproach-I did wrong when it was possible to have done otherwise. Nathaniel Branden More Quotes by Nathaniel Branden More Quotes From Nathaniel Branden ... there is an irrational, cultish tendency in many intellectual movements, and Objectivism, alas, is no exception. Ayn Rand's personal obsession with loyalty did little to discourage this trend.... Rand had often protested, 'Protect me from my followers!' Nathaniel Branden loyaltyfollowersintellectual An emotion is both a mental and a physical event. Nathaniel Branden eventsemotion The policy of seeking values from human beings by means of force, when practiced by an individual, is called crime. When practiced by a government, it is called statism. Nathaniel Branden individualismgovernmentmean High self esteem people can surely be knocked down by an excess of troubles, but they are quickerto pick themselves up again. Nathaniel Branden excessself-esteempeople Self-respecting men and women think about the consequences of their actions-and are willing to take responsibility for them. Nathaniel Branden responsibilitymenthinking Your life is important. Whether you achieve what you want in life matters. Whether you are happy matters. Honor and fight for your highest potential. Self-realizatio n-the realization of the best within you-is the noblest goal of your existence. Nathaniel Branden fightinggoalself A productive purpose to which you give yourself fully and joyfully is one of the great adventures of life. It is a uniquely human source of happiness. Nathaniel Branden purposeadventuregiving Do not marry the enemy of your excitement. Nathaniel Branden excitementadviceenemy Individualism is at once an ethical-psychological concept and an ethical-political one. As an ethical-psychological concept, individualism holds that a human being should think and judge independently, respecting nothing more than the sovereignty of his or her mind; thus, it is intimately connected with the concept of autonomy. As an ethical-political concept, individualism upholds the supremacy of individual rights Nathaniel Branden judgingrightsthinking Force, governmental coercion, is the instrument by which the ethics of altruism - the belief that the individual exists to serve others - is translated into political reality. Nathaniel Branden politicalgovernmentreality It is easy enough to say, Be true to your values. But what if your values are irrational? Or what if the virtues you have committed yourself to are so much against human nature that they cannot be practiced consistently? Be careful of what you accept as your code of morality. Think carefully about whether its tenets serve your life and well being. Exercise critical judgment. Realize how much is at stake-your life, your happiness, your self-esteem. Nathaniel Branden self-esteemexercisethinking Some people stand and move as if they have no right to the space they occupy. They wonder why others often fail to treat them with respect-not realizing that they have signaled others that it is not necessary to treat them with respect. Nathaniel Branden respectspacemoving Sometimes pain is easier to bear alone than happiness. Nathaniel Branden painbearssometimes Tell me how a person judges his or her self-esteem, and I will tell you how that person operates at work, in love, in sex, in parenting, in every important aspect of existence - and how high he or she is likely to rise. The reputation you have with yourself - your self-esteem - is the single most important factor for a fulfilling life. Nathaniel Branden meworklovelife Of all the nonsense written about love, none is more absurd than the notion that ideal love is selfless. To love is to see myself in you and to wish to celebrate myself with you. What I love is the embodiment of my values in another person. Love is an act of self-assertion, self-expression and a celebration of being alive. Nathaniel Branden myselfyoulove-islove I cannot remember a time when the question of why people behave as they do was not intensely interesting to me. The desire to understand was very important. When I was young, I was aware of the fact that much of the time, the reasons a person gave for his actions were not the actual reasons. Nathaniel Branden metimerememberpeople Not a great deal is known about the factors in childhood that doubtless underlie a person's choice of career - I'm talking now about a career to which one is passionately committed, in contradistinction to a career chosen merely as a means of earning a living. Nathaniel Branden persongreatchildhoodtalking If we are happy within ourselves, we don't accept or demand that our partner should fulfill every need. We need to be comfortable with our own company. Nathaniel Branden partnerownaccepthappy The United States was the first country in the history of the world to be consciously created out of an idea - and the idea was liberty. Nathaniel Branden libertycountryhistoryworld When I was a child, I felt at times that I had been born into an insane asylum, that much of human life appeared to be an insane asylum. It was bewildering. Nathaniel Branden childhuman-lifebornlife
