 Questions and Motives
by Luke Setzer
The vice of snooping has its roots in human tribalism. Such unbridled and uncivilized curiosity manifests itself in the form of questions that invade privacy. The best defense against such intrusiveness comes from the unyielding application of the virtue of self-assertiveness and the contextual application of the virtue of honesty. (Read more...)
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 Inside the Mind of a Megalomaniac
by Luke Setzer
If you still cling to the evil notion that you have the "natural right" to make your own choices about anything, rest assured that when we elect me as World Chancellor, we will adjust your attitude—permanently. (Read more...)
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 Charles Givens
by Luke Setzer
The complex world of personal finance can often overwhelm the average person. Mortgages, insurance, taxes, investments, real estate, employment, and business carry with them a host of rules, regulations, and pitfalls that seem designed to transfer wealth from the ignorant to the informed. A variety of magazines and books has offered instructions on how to control expenditures and build personal wealth. Some of the all-time best-selling books on personal finance have come from one man: Charles J. Givens. The story of his rise to fame, fall from grace, and final demise provide lessons for all of us. (Read more...)
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 Hazards of Benevolence
by Luke Setzer
It was through the role as a mentor that I learned some of the hazards of benevolently giving a protégé the benefit of the doubt. While I still consider benevolence a major virtue, I have shrunk what I consider "the bounds of reason" for generosity substantially. Anyone who consults my advice had better prepare for a kick in the seat of the pants from a very unapologetic mentor. (Read more...)
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Benefactors versus Malefactors
by Luke Setzer
Assessing the character trait of benevolence in others provides the fastest way to size up those others as worthy of your time and effort in building productive relationships. This holds true regardless of how they may identify themselves. Other qualities, such as their capacity to reason effectively, certainly deserve attention. However, developing a large pool of benevolent network contacts with whom to form more concrete and productive relationships will best serve your life. Relationships with malefactors deserve swift terminations regardless of their sophisticated objections. (Read more...)
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 Limits to the Effectiveness of Moral Judgment
by Luke Setzer
Much consternation in the Objectivist movement has arisen over exactly the best way to practice the virtue of justice -- to pronounce moral judgment and to give that pronouncement the teeth needed to make it effective. Various schisms, excommunications and ostracisms have taken place at one end of the spectrum of practice, while excessively tolerant "somnambulist ecumenism" has marked the other end. This wide difference of applications of justice demands a re-examination of its function in order to discover how optimally to practice this challenging virtue. (Read more...)
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Houseguests from Hell
by Luke Setzer
This Toastmasters speech from the Entertaining Speaker manual seeks to develop an entertaining dramatic talk about an experience or incident using vivid imagery, characters and dialogue. This rendition recounts an incident in my early days of Objectivism when I found my self-esteem could no longer tolerate an unhealthy, mooching, "platonic" relationship. (Read more...)
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 A Proto-Objectivist Defense of Teetotaling?
by Luther Setzer
During my transition from Christianity to Objectivism in late 1988, I found myself repeatedly engaged in rationalistic justifications of common Christian dogmas. This one examines alcohol consumption. As Joseph Rowlands explained at SOLOC 4, the "all or nothing" fallacy demonstrates itself here. I published this column in October 1988 in the North Carolina State University newspaper, the Technician. It only received two responses, one supporting my critiques and the other challenging my "all or nothing" approach. I confess now that some studies support positive health effects of moderate red wine consumption, but remain skeptical of the idea that drinking to the point of reducing inhibitions offers egoistic benefits. (Read more...)
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 National Day of Reason 2005 Speech
by Luther Setzer
The American secular community commenced National Day of Reason in recent years to offer a rational response to the federally recognized National Day of Prayer. Both holidays take place concurrently each year on the first Thursday of May. As SOLO Florida Coordinator, I arranged a local dinner event open to all freethinkers to celebrate National Day of Reason on May 5, 2005 with the floor open to anyone who wants a few minutes to make remarks about this contrast. This speech of mine will likely raise the hackles of some dinner guests who remain devoted parishioners of the faith of statism. (Read more...)
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Fun and Games on Earth Day 2002
by Luther Setzer
With Earth Day 2005 coming soon, I wanted to share some past experiences regarding what to expect should you decide to host an "Earth Day versus Man" booth at your local campus. (Read more...)
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Rules for Women and Rules for Men
by Luther Setzer
All the ramblings in SOLO lately about rules for communicating with women and men offered a perfect opportunity for me to share this little gem. The authors of these two jokes remain unknown but they have floated about the Internet for years. (Read more...)
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A Proto-Objectivist Argument for Lifelong Monogamy?
by Luther Setzer
In August 1988, while still involved with the Baptists and the Lutherans and before my exposure to Ayn Rand the following month, I found myself groping for -- gasp! -- objective evidence to corroborate the Judeo-Christian ethics hammered at me. This article resulted from my research into that subject. In retrospect, I can see that I already had an intuitive grasp of the concept of individual human life as the root of value. However, this argument amounts to a consequentialist viewpoint rather than a genuinely rational egoist viewpoint. I post the article here for discussion. (Read more...)
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Poor Don't Deserve My Paycheck
by Luther Setzer
I published this editorial on October 3, 1988, in the campus newspaper, The Technicianat North Carolina State University shortly after reading The Virtue of Selfishnessthe first time. I share it here for your entertainment. As you might imagine, a storm of protests filled the "Letters to the Editor" section the following week. (Read more...)
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Calling All Objectivists To Ogle Moogul!
by Luther Setzer
Moogul allows anyone to post anything to their site to lend to anyone according to mutually agreeable terms and conditions. Although few Objectivist items currently populate the site, the service could supply a boon to SOLO members who want a reliable way to lend and to borrow Objectivist materials. (Read more...)
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Wednesday
January 12, 2005 |
JOE versus SAM
by Luther Setzer
This Toastmasters speech from the Entertaining Speaker manual includes competency in drawing humorous and dramatic material from sources other than the speaker's own personal experience, adapting it to suit the speaker and his audience, and using the entertaining material to convey a serious message about how men can and ought to handle their romantic relationships. (Read more...)
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Saving for Greatness
by Luther Setzer
A fellow freethinker who works for World Financial Group shared this document with me. Their sales representatives regularly give this flyer to prospects. The flyer names no original author of this fine dissertation, but it certainly resonates with the Objectivist ethics of financial management. (Read more...)
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Synergizing Meetup With SOLO
by Luther Setzer
I intend to send this letter to all organizers of Ayn Rand Meetup across the globe. I request suggestions from SOLO readers for style and content. Eventually, I will also approach other existing Objectivist Clubs using a similar letter. (Read more...)
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A Christmas Concerto of Deliverance
by Luther Setzer
This article turns the Charles Dickens "classic" A Christmas Carol on its ear and reveals Scrooge as the hero and Cratchit as the oaf who needs a few lessons from visiting "spirits". (Read more...)
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Saturday
November 20, 2004 |
Thunderous Replies to Thoughtless Remarks
by Luther Setzer
This Toastmasters speech from the Entertaining Speaker manual employs humor to convey a message about how to deal with the inane bromides of modern life. (Read more...)
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The Dogbert Dismissal
by Luther Setzer
This Toastmasters speech from the Basic manual seeks to cultivate the skill of speaking about one's own convictions. (Read more...)
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A Is A
by Luther Setzer
This Toastmasters speech served as a test speech for two different Evaluation Contests in 2003. The resulting evaluations proved insightful. Even the ones who disagreed with the precept that miracles cannot happen appreciated the demonstration of the prop. (Read more...)
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The Grinning Face of Evil
by Luke Setzer
Steven Alan Hassan, cult counselor and mind control expert, contends that commercial cults can bring as much harm as religious cults to their members and families. Former members of many different multi-level marketing (MLM) companies will support this bold claim. This entertaining speech employs an "over the top" portrayal of a typical MLM "weekend training and motivational retreat" to illustrate the worst aspects of the worst MLM companies. It won first place at a local Toastmasters Area Contest for International Speech. (Read more...)
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The Americans with No Life Act
by Luther Setzer
What happens when nerds become the next protected minority due reparations from privileged elites for oppressions of their ancestors? This Toastmasters speech projects contemporary trends to the near future through a lens of satire. It won third place out of six contestants at an Area Contest for Humorous Speeches. (Read more...)
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 "A Is A" Is Not PC
by Luther Setzer
This original poem of humor helped me to achieve the Bronze level of Advanced Toastmaster (ATM-B). Visit http://www.toastmasters.org to learn more about this fine organization. I warn the reader that I may have violated exact rules of meter and rhythm and I had to stretch the meaning of "rhyme" a bit. I occupy myself as an engineer, not a poet. So I expect it to bring you a chuckle, not serve as a model of fine art. (Read more...)
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Experiencing Objectivism through Microsoft Outlook
by Luther Setzer
This article shows users of Microsoft Outlook how to employ the Objectivist ethics of Reason, Purpose and Self-Esteem to organize the contents of their Inbox, Tasks and other Outlook windows to assure they act with integrity to their chosen values and goals. (Read more...)
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