I am older than you. Believe me, there is no other way to live on earth. Men are not open to truth or reason. They cannot be reached by a rational argument. The mind is powerless against them. Yet we have to deal with them. If we want to accomplish anything, we have to deceive them into letting us accomplish it. Or force them. They understand nothing else. We cannot expect their support for any endeavor of the intellect, for any goal of the spirit. They are nothing but vicious animals. They are greedy, self-indulgent, predatory dollar-chasers .Ayn Rand
About This Quote
There are few things in this world that are more difficult to do than understanding the other person. Many of us find it hard to comprehend why other people feel, think, and act the way they do. It is easy to understand our own feelings and thoughts but not so easy to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That is why we rely on logic or emotion to help us understand our fellow human beings.
Unfortunately, while that may be an effective way to understand our own feelings, it is not always effective for understanding other people. The best way to get to know someone is through experience. Seeing what they do, what they say, and how they react in different situations will give you a good idea of who they are.
The next best thing is talking with them directly. Talking with another person offers you the opportunity to let your guard down and learn about their ideas and beliefs.
Source: Atlas Shrugged
Some Similar Quotes
- I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.
- When someone loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable.
- When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.
- Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having...
- The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then...
More Quotes By Ayn Rand
- Haven't I? - he thought. Haven't I thought of it since the first time I saw you? Haven't I thought of nothing else for two years? ..He sat motionless, looking at her. He heard the words he had never allowed himself to form, the words...
- Productiveness is your acceptance of morality, your recognition of the fact that you choose to live--that productive work is the process by which man's consciousness controls his existence, a constant process of acquiring knowledge and shaping matter to fit one's purpose, of translating an idea...
- I love you so much that nothing can matter to me - not even you... Only my love- not your answer. Not even your indifference
- I want you, Hank. I'm much more of an animal than you think. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you - and the only thing I'm ashamed of is that I did not know it. I did not know why, for two...
- Love should be treated like a business deal, but every business deal has its own terms and its own currency. And in love, the currency is virtue. You love people not for what you do for them or what they do for you. You love...