4 ms·

Is this the same John Rogers that helped write the story for the newest 'Catwoman' and 'Transformers' movies? I'm not so sure he's in the best position to qual

by serf 10y ago

Is this the same John Rogers that helped write the story for the newest 'Catwoman' and 'Transformers' movies? I'm not so sure he's in the best position to qualify as a literary critic.

rhizome 10y ago
You don't have to be a lit crit to come to a solid conclusion that Rand should not be followed as a life plan. I feel the same way about "The Prince" and "The Art of War," both of which I haven't read because I don't want them poisoning my brain.
- tempestn 10y ago
  You don't trust your ability to critically evaluate the things you read?
- phaus 10y ago
  Edit: Apparently I'm not as cultured as I thought. I didn't know Machiavelli had his own version of "The Art of War". Obviously, my previous comment was unqualified. However, I did read "The Prince" and I think there's a lot most can learn from it. While I find the majority of the book reprehensible, there are many powerful people in our society that seem to think of it as a bible / instruction manual. Given the fact that such ideas still play a significant role in our society; I feel it is worthwhile to learn about them.
  - pitay 10y ago
    Are you talking about "The Art of War" by Machiavelli or "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu? Edit: Thanks for the clarification.
  - rhizome 10y ago
    I didn't know there was a Machiavelli "Art of War" either. I meant the Sun Tzu.
- jsmthrowaway 10y ago
  That's like saying "I've never eaten lettuce, but I know I don't like it just from looking at it." What a weird, sheltered approach to life; you should broaden your horizons a bit and read, say, Mein Kampf. Developing critical skills is essential for anyone and it's totally reasonable to read something even when you know you will disagree.
- icantdrive55 10y ago
  The Art of a War is a lot of common sense. If your not predisposed to be a sociopath, I don't think it's a bad read. You don't want to be the guy who has memorized every passage, and rarely leaves his room though. I wasn't introduced to Ayn Rand's books/philosophy until years after philosophy classes in college. The guys who followed it, or were rabid fans of hers were literally homeless. I can't blame her philosophy on their situation. One of her most voracious, fervent fans was one of the most naturally gifted artists I have ever been in the presence of. His personality was like sandpaper. He would argue for the sake of arguing. I will never forget one thing he did. He received over a million dollars in an inheritance. He bought a nice Van. I figured I will never have to picture him homeless. He decided to invest the money on the stock market himself. He literally lost everything in about a year in a half. He didn't want any advice--nothing, even about diversification. He relied on a computer program to pick stock. I heard he's still around. If you happen to read this; your art is magical. (He didn't know quite how talented he was as an artist. I don't know why. At some point, I believe, someone he respected, told him his art was not original, and his drawings were just the result of good technique? His drawings/paintings were original, and showed so much original talent.)
- jcbeard 10y ago
  They're excellent. You should read both, critically. You should likely throw in the Fountainhead as well....and for good measure should likely also read Exodus, 1914, The Service: The Memoirs of General Reinhard Gehlen, and likely more fun stuff like the Federalist and Anti-federalist papers. The history, passion, and often hypocrisy found are enlightening. Ayn R. had wonderful insights into the human condition...as a previous author had said, the solutions were often a bit twisted. If you want really interesting, dig into Beyond Good and Evil. I read all of Nietzsche while I was in officer basic a long time ago. Very interesting stuff. I guess my point is, don't discount literature because you disagree with it.
- isaaaaah 10y ago
  It is phrases and words, accumulated to symbols, that form our thoughts. A whole network is being built upon it which will then be your subconcious mind. It is interesting how much of such phrases one might used to get a simple point across. Like an oyster hiding their pearl. To get to the pearl you need to be well aware so you are not trapped in a shell that is not yours.
- mike_lang 10y ago
  EDIT: I as well assumed you were referring to Sun Tzu. I can't speak to whether my comments hold for Machiavelli's at all. If you've lumped "The Art of War" into the same category in your mind as Ayn Rand's writings, I suggest you to read it. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Aside from being both commonly cited as influential (in greater or lesser unfortunate ways), there's really about zero similarity between the two.
  - rhizome 10y ago
    cited as influential (in greater or lesser unfortunate ways) I definitely mean in the greater of unfortunate ways. That there's zero similarity is irrelevant, they keep showing up in the same places. They're not brothers, they're friends.

by serf 10y ago

Is this the same John Rogers that helped write the story for the newest 'Catwoman' and 'Transformers' movies? I'm not so sure he's in the best position to qualify as a literary critic.

rhizome 10y ago

You don't have to be a lit crit to come to a solid conclusion that Rand should not be followed as a life plan. I feel the same way about "The Prince" and "The Art of War," both of which I haven't read because I don't want them poisoning my brain.

tempestn 10y ago
You don't trust your ability to critically evaluate the things you read?
phaus 10y ago
Edit: Apparently I'm not as cultured as I thought. I didn't know Machiavelli had his own version of "The Art of War". Obviously, my previous comment was unqualified. However, I did read "The Prince" and I think there's a lot most can learn from it. While I find the majority of the book reprehensible, there are many powerful people in our society that seem to think of it as a bible / instruction manual. Given the fact that such ideas still play a significant role in our society; I feel it is worthwhile to learn about them.
- pitay 10y ago
  Are you talking about "The Art of War" by Machiavelli or "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu? Edit: Thanks for the clarification.
- rhizome 10y ago
  I didn't know there was a Machiavelli "Art of War" either. I meant the Sun Tzu.
jsmthrowaway 10y ago
That's like saying "I've never eaten lettuce, but I know I don't like it just from looking at it." What a weird, sheltered approach to life; you should broaden your horizons a bit and read, say, Mein Kampf. Developing critical skills is essential for anyone and it's totally reasonable to read something even when you know you will disagree.
icantdrive55 10y ago
The Art of a War is a lot of common sense. If your not predisposed to be a sociopath, I don't think it's a bad read. You don't want to be the guy who has memorized every passage, and rarely leaves his room though. I wasn't introduced to Ayn Rand's books/philosophy until years after philosophy classes in college. The guys who followed it, or were rabid fans of hers were literally homeless. I can't blame her philosophy on their situation. One of her most voracious, fervent fans was one of the most naturally gifted artists I have ever been in the presence of. His personality was like sandpaper. He would argue for the sake of arguing. I will never forget one thing he did. He received over a million dollars in an inheritance. He bought a nice Van. I figured I will never have to picture him homeless. He decided to invest the money on the stock market himself. He literally lost everything in about a year in a half. He didn't want any advice--nothing, even about diversification. He relied on a computer program to pick stock. I heard he's still around. If you happen to read this; your art is magical. (He didn't know quite how talented he was as an artist. I don't know why. At some point, I believe, someone he respected, told him his art was not original, and his drawings were just the result of good technique? His drawings/paintings were original, and showed so much original talent.)
jcbeard 10y ago
They're excellent. You should read both, critically. You should likely throw in the Fountainhead as well....and for good measure should likely also read Exodus, 1914, The Service: The Memoirs of General Reinhard Gehlen, and likely more fun stuff like the Federalist and Anti-federalist papers. The history, passion, and often hypocrisy found are enlightening. Ayn R. had wonderful insights into the human condition...as a previous author had said, the solutions were often a bit twisted. If you want really interesting, dig into Beyond Good and Evil. I read all of Nietzsche while I was in officer basic a long time ago. Very interesting stuff. I guess my point is, don't discount literature because you disagree with it.
isaaaaah 10y ago
It is phrases and words, accumulated to symbols, that form our thoughts. A whole network is being built upon it which will then be your subconcious mind. It is interesting how much of such phrases one might used to get a simple point across. Like an oyster hiding their pearl. To get to the pearl you need to be well aware so you are not trapped in a shell that is not yours.
mike_lang 10y ago
EDIT: I as well assumed you were referring to Sun Tzu. I can't speak to whether my comments hold for Machiavelli's at all. If you've lumped "The Art of War" into the same category in your mind as Ayn Rand's writings, I suggest you to read it. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Aside from being both commonly cited as influential (in greater or lesser unfortunate ways), there's really about zero similarity between the two.
- rhizome 10y ago
  cited as influential (in greater or lesser unfortunate ways) I definitely mean in the greater of unfortunate ways. That there's zero similarity is irrelevant, they keep showing up in the same places. They're not brothers, they're friends.