Atlas Shrugged Essay: The Mind of Man is So Great
Atlas Shrugged Essay – The Mind of Man is Too Great
The materials used in Atlas Shrugged, a novel by Ayan Rand, became increasingly difficult to obtain as the plot moves forward. Characters in the novel began to question their motives more and more as the materials, in result of someone’s mind becomes increasingly difficult to obtain. When John Galt says “enough” at that final meeting where things gotten out of hand, THAT was the turning point at which the world’s motors became increasingly difficult to operate, run, and manufacture. It was that person’s mind that supplied the materials. Over time, company heads realize how important it is for people to run their company, people are a resource, and with the world of Atlas Shrugged, the people who supplied the world with such materials formed a society to live their lives. This essay will show you how material goods became increasingly difficult as the plot progresses.
“You can buy a person's hand, but you can't buy his heart. His heart is where his enthusiasm, his loyalty is. You can buy his back, but you can't buy his brain. That's where his creativity is, his ingenuity, his resourcefulness.”
- Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
When John Galt steps out of the silence through the crowd, he says, “I'll stop the motor of the world” and walks out. This event was the one that started the scarcity of the mind. In this world the mind is all powerful and those who know how to use it can have anything they wish. The mind, when considering, this essay produces the material goods that the people in the world of Atlas Shrugged use. The mind, with this in mind produces all the machinery and the “motor of the world” according to John Galt. This is why, we see all the great minds coming to gather during the latter half of the book. Without the mind to realize the materials, there is no world. Company heads and executives would have to go through a real hard time to get what they want. We see evidence in the book when armed mobsters began entering the picture, capturing the people with the knowledge.
We see evidence of the world collapsing when company heads start to realize how much they need their workers. Things have gotten out of hand and the mind needs to be put to work. Just like the workers have their hands and the company head has his leadership, the scientists and smart people of the world have their work to do to. However, when the work is helping some other guy, you barely know get rich it’s a different story. The imbalance that John Galt sees is so many workers set out for the same unachievable goal because it is not their business. When offered a higher position in the company John Galt refuses again and again. You can’t buy his brain. By the time the novel rolls around, the minds of industry have already changed their tune. They already built a society for them to live in and are recruiting more and more. When you work for someone who is only getting richer by the minute while you toil and are not being appreciated, it gets to you. Furthermore, the scientists and industry leaders all can practice their own respective fields freely as they wish, even come up with their own other worldly possessions such as a carton of cigarettes that no one has seen, and their own currency.
“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve”
-Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
The Elites in society are aware of the powers of the mind, which is why they go after this power in such an aggressive way, even giving up an arm and a leg for it. With the mind, you can stop the motor of the world or start it again. The novel also states that “This, in every hour and every issue, is your basic moral choice: thinking or non-thinking, existence or non-existence, A or non-A, entity or zero.” When it comes to business, sometimes you must be cutthroat. In the case of this novel, they made it clear how the world was falling behind in industry to the fact that the minds of the world have stopped putting their input on it. once the minds of the world went on strike, they then proceeded to adapt another way of living altogether, even pulling people into their world like Mr.’s Taggart. The world was running smoothly according to company heads had an agreed upon relationship. A quick fix so-to-say would be to just give the workers what they want in return for the service you requested. Sometimes, however, we can get blinded by our own ambitions as the case with Hank Rearden and his famous alloy that is lighter than steel and much stronger. When you have an idea that grand and large it is sure to cause a dilemma. Perhaps he got all caught up in the business side that he neglected the people around him and even his own workers to keep his project afloat. When you have a business, it’s like a baby, and that is something the other characters don’t quite touch on in Atlas Shrugged.
“...there was no guilt in his face, no doubt, nothing but the calm of an inviolate self-confidence.”
-Ayan Rand, Atlas Shrugged
To Hank Rearden everything he does is towards his purpose, whether it be the Rearden metal or the company itself he has aim. On top of that, he believes in his vision so much, that he is willing to risk a lot for his company. For the other characters, who focus on their relationships, family matters, and who is John Galt, Mr. Rearden has a definite purpose and aim. “Throughout his life, whenever he became convinced that a course of action was right, the desire to follow it had come automatically.” He knows what he wants. Having a business is sort of like a lifestyle, it’s your breath and he’ll be in the wrong from himself if he didn’t fight for it.
For some, education is a chance at opportunity, others, a necessity. We need our minds as evidence by Hank Reardens actions in Atlas Shrugged. He went to such great lengths to have his company succeed, that people like him would do the same. There are other ways of going about business that attracting mobsters to come fight for you. It doesn’t have to go that far. When John Galt proceeds to just be another factory worker, instead of using his mind to further the company, it shows the value we have in our everyday lives. The power of the world, the power that produces all material goods in that world, is at your fingertips.