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They deeply believe in the Ayn Rand mindset that the system that brings them the most individual wealth is also the best system for humanity as a whole.

mandmandam 2y ago
When people that wealthy are that delusional... With few checks or balances from politics, media, or even social media... I don't think humanity as a whole is in for a great time.
- jimbokun 2y ago
  They are roughly as delusional as everyone else. There is an image human bias to convince yourself that what benefits you is also best for everyone else. It’s just that their biases have much more capacity to cause damage as their wealth gives them so much power.
  - mandmandam 2y ago
    Yes, people are generally delusional; importantly though, some people are much less so (and some more so). Being connected to reality, being grounded, are learnable traits (but not very valuable to CEOs and narcissists). > They are roughly as delusional as everyone else. I would bet serious money that people who believe in Ayn Rand are generally more delusional than others, and the same goes for the ultra-wealthy living in a bubble of sycophants. And their wealth gives them much more capacity - and motive - to cause damage.
  - drewbeck 2y ago
    I disagree with this. I think there's probably a baseline "capacity for delusion" we all share, but the very wealthy are insulated from the negative repercussions of their actions in a way everyday folks are not. They also hold so much power by virtue of their wealth that they end up surrounded by sycophants, creating the conditions for a level of self-belief that is deeply delusional, and that only the most narcissistic among the rest of us could ever dream of attaining.
- ArthurStacks 2y ago
  It got you the 20th century
torginus 2y ago
The problem with that mindset is that money is a proxy for the Marxist idea of inherent value. The distinction does not matter when you are just an average dude, doubling your money doubles the amount of material wealth you have access to. But once you control a significant enough chunk of money, it becomes clear the pie doesn't get any bigger the more shiny coins you have, you only have more relative purchasing power, automatically making everyone else poorer.
monkeyelite 2y ago
Which Ayn Rand book says that?

mandmandam 2y ago

When people that wealthy are that delusional... With few checks or balances from politics, media, or even social media... I don't think humanity as a whole is in for a great time.

jimbokun 2y ago
They are roughly as delusional as everyone else. There is an image human bias to convince yourself that what benefits you is also best for everyone else. It’s just that their biases have much more capacity to cause damage as their wealth gives them so much power.
- mandmandam 2y ago
  Yes, people are generally delusional; importantly though, some people are much less so (and some more so). Being connected to reality, being grounded, are learnable traits (but not very valuable to CEOs and narcissists). > They are roughly as delusional as everyone else. I would bet serious money that people who believe in Ayn Rand are generally more delusional than others, and the same goes for the ultra-wealthy living in a bubble of sycophants. And their wealth gives them much more capacity - and motive - to cause damage.
- drewbeck 2y ago
  I disagree with this. I think there's probably a baseline "capacity for delusion" we all share, but the very wealthy are insulated from the negative repercussions of their actions in a way everyday folks are not. They also hold so much power by virtue of their wealth that they end up surrounded by sycophants, creating the conditions for a level of self-belief that is deeply delusional, and that only the most narcissistic among the rest of us could ever dream of attaining.
ArthurStacks 2y ago
It got you the 20th century

torginus 2y ago

The problem with that mindset is that money is a proxy for the Marxist idea of inherent value. The distinction does not matter when you are just an average dude, doubling your money doubles the amount of material wealth you have access to. But once you control a significant enough chunk of money, it becomes clear the pie doesn't get any bigger the more shiny coins you have, you only have more relative purchasing power, automatically making everyone else poorer.

monkeyelite 2y ago

Which Ayn Rand book says that?