Ayn Rand’s theory of Objectivism states that reality exists regardless of human consciousness. In other words, human beings don’t shape reality – but are shaped by reality. Rand believed that human knowledge and values are determined by the nature of reality and that human beings may only acquire said knowledge through sense perception. In other words, humans learn by way of senses (hearing, seeing, feeling) and logic. Subsequently, Rand also believed that the purpose of an individual’s life was to pursue and eventually achieve happiness within themselves. According to Objectivists, it is rational to be self-interested. “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, …show more content…
For example, Mussert says that “I have never had an exaggerated interest in my own person, but unfortunately that did not imply I could ever stop thinking about myself at will, from one moment to the next.” (Nooteboom, the Following Story) It seems as though Herman isn’t fixated with his physical self (which could be considered selfish) but rather self-interested with his intellectual wellbeing. There is a reason that Mussert taught Greek and Latin and had been working on his own translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses for God knows how many years. Mussert’s objective observation of philosophers and poets such as Ovid and Cicero, as well as his lack of concern towards outward appearance, are clear indications of where his self-interests lie. Herman is nicknamed “Socrates” not only because of his philosophical tendencies, but as a result of his ugliness. Even this - the common agreement among his pupils and cohorts that he is ugly - is of no concern to Mussert. Herman appears more vulnerable not when he is addressed with the subtle acknowledgment of his unattractiveness, but rather when faced with seemingly common occurrences – like sexual activity. “Whenever I take off my glasses I feel like a tortoise without a shell. That is to say, in the intimate proximity of the female body I am the most defenseless of creatures.” …show more content…
He was thirty years old and in Lisbon, Portugal with a science teacher named Maria Zeinstra. Mussert’s affair with Zeinstra pulled him down from his intellectual high-horse and induced him into a state of love. Herman says that “Now for once I belonged to the ranks of ordinary people, the mortals, the rest, because I was in love with Maria Zeinstra.” (Nooteboom, the Following Story) For once in his life Mussert had replaced his relentless pursuit of intellectual greatness with a woman. This loss of objectivity held dire consequences, however. As a result of his passionate affair with Maria, Herman gets his ass kicked in front of a multitude of students, teachers, and administrators – all the “ordinary” people. This negative experience is a product of Mussert’s love for Zerinstra, and could have very well been why he found himself in Lisbon after going to sleep in Amsterdam. An episode of complete and utter humiliation such as this one obviously made a deep impression on Mussert – a man so heavily influenced by his solitude as well as the uneventfulness that led to relative stability in his