Atlas Shrugged quote

I see the ideal man as strong, proud, clean, wise, fearless and guiltless. I see man as a heroic being. I think that self-exaltation comes from the consciousness of being guiltless, of seeking the truth and achieving it, of living up to one's highest possibility, of knowing no shame and having no cause for shame. I respect every person who had ever dared to stand alone, proud and independent.

I don’t believe in religion. I think that a place built as a setting for people is a sacred place. Throughout time, 'worship' has meant the emotional experience of loyalty and dedication to something higher than man – such as various figures of “God”. But I have always thought otherwise. I believe that people should strive to achieve and worship our own perfection, not kneel and pray to a perfection that we cannot touch or see. Why not worship that ideal man instead of God?

I can accept anything, except what seems to be the easiest for most people: the half way, the almost, the just about, the in between.

Ayn Rand, 'Atlas Shrugged.'