Why are people interested in Ayn Rand?
Millions of people have read Ayn Rand’s work, especially her novels. Many have found them to be a great source of personal inspiration. Her focus on reason and individualism appeals to many people, some of whom have adopted her specific philosophical ideas as their own. Even among those who do not accept her philosophy as a whole, there are still many who find inspiration and support. The specific things that Rand’s readers take from her work vary. However, few people read her work without some strong reaction — even if it is a negative reaction. Perhaps the thing that Ayn Rand appeals to most strongly is something she described in one of her non-fiction essays: There is a fundamental conviction which some people never acquire, some hold only in their youth, and a few hold to the end of their days — the conviction that ideas matter. In one’s youth that conviction is experienced as a self-evident absolute, and one is unable fully to believe that there are people who do not share it. T
