This one was sent in by a reader who had an exchange with this guy about Atlas Shrugged.
Him: Atlas Shrugged ... Did you read that because you're a dyed in the wool republican or because it's a good way to fall asleep for a severe insomnia problem?
Me: Wow, you must have girls lining up to meet you. Plenty of snap judgments i could make about you, but I'm not like that.
Btw, I'm a registered democrat, jackass.
Him: How did you know? I do have girls lining up, but its mostly to beat me with large inflatable bats. I have a way with words you know.
I find at random events where I run into groups of republicans, they seem to mention the book. I haven't even read anything beyond the wikipedia synopsis which sounds ...well grim and mostly dull.
(Also, I saw what you did there...democrat, donkey, jackass.. well played).
Me: Maybe your problem is that you talk out of your ass without actually knowing anything about what you're saying. If you had actually read the book, you'd get the irony about when people are too lazy to actually do something themselves, rather than just sitting on the sidelines, criticizing.
I'm a democrat, but being a democrat means educating yourself in a way that goes beyond reading wikipedia.
I wish you luck on here, but I'm looking for someone with knowledge that goes beyond the superficial. Sorry.
Him: I don't believe you read the bit where I'm not even American. I don't actually care. I like making fun of both parties because I don't believe you need to be a 'registered democrat' or 'republican'. You're a registered 'voter' who makes independent choices based on the economic and social policies put into place by opposing parties. Your families previous choices are irrelevant. Heck, your previous election choices are irrelevant.
All that matters is. "This candidate and their party offers an combination of policies that provide me with the highest gained economic and social utility after their election". And if everyone acted in their self-interest that way, then you have a system that represents the best outcome given the population at large.
Or of course, you can say "I'm part of the X party, so I'm voting for them no matter what". Up to you really. I for one, just like to be a 'superficial' dick to cute girls who read difficult books.
I am currently reading atlas shrugged and it is a really well written, deep, intellectual book. I like difficult men so I would probably atleast have coffee with him.
ReplyDelete"Him" for the win on this one.
ReplyDeletePolitics and religion- just let them both go if you want to have a civil conversation
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alli on this one. "Him" scored all the points.
ReplyDeleteThis guy doesn't seem to be some asshole looking for a hookup. He had an actual question and she had to be all snooty with him. He handled it well.
ReplyDeleteSmash- ive been trying to read that book but I can't get past the first few pages. I'm gonna try again. I always start it, get frustrated and read something easier.
Rejected- it's kind of hard to start it. But now 700 pages in I really love it. I started reading it while on my period so I got very into the story, haha. Now I am taking a little brake, it took almost 2 weeks to get that far in. It is not an easy book to read to say the least but the story is amazing.
DeleteSmash- I try to alternate reading fiction and non so I'm reading this very intresting book about cadavers called stiff and its so weird and funny but I think I may try atlas next, I also have the fountainhead, I don't totally agree with her message but none the less I like reading about different views. Usually it reinforces my own. Be prepared for questions when I start reading!
DeleteYep, the guy won on this one and she seemed to have no sense of humour. She's also a little too defensive of Atlas. Perhaps she sees herself as an intellectual just a wee too much.
ReplyDeleteAyn Rand is kind of dangerous in that she can really get you thinking her way, until you actually stop to think what she's actually saying! At least that's what happened when I read it at the impressionable age of 19. She also pontificates far too much. But I enjoyed that book a lot even if I don't go all the way with her belief system. You have to remember she's coming from Stain Russia.
ReplyDeleteI'd meet with that guy! It IS true that lots of GOP are spouting Ayn Rand as Bible these days.
All I can say is thank you tiny baby Jesus that I'm happily married. If this post represents what dating is now, I would die alone with my animals and books. And interwebz. Thank you universe for finding me someone as grouchy as I am.
ReplyDeleteSounds like he's trying to have a semi-lighthearted exchange, and she takes it a little too seriously. So he ends up totally trying to f&$k with her.
ReplyDeleteI totally get sarcasm, so I'm on his side here. :-)
I gotta side with her. I've met faux-intellectual guys like the one in this exchange, and they work my last nerve. She may have escalated things, but he started it by insulting her reading choice.
ReplyDeleteYes, HIM for the win. Sorry, reader. You take yourself too seriously. Lighten up and you'll have an easier time with... well, everything.
ReplyDeleteAnd the name calling... jeepers. I can't believe you sent this to Enty thinking you'd come out of this looking good.
I like him too. She clearly has no sense of humor about this.
ReplyDeleteI think that when some people get challenged they don't know how to respond ... other than "I'm looking for someone with knowledge that goes beyond the superficial. Sorry."
You need some intelligence to have a sense of humor. I'd meet him for coffee ... I'm a guy. :)
Atlas ugh-ed. I won't spoil the ending, but the emperor is naked.
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like an asshole. And that's not just because the idea of reading Atlas Shrugged makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a Taco Bell spork.
ReplyDeleteawattahey? he sounds dumb and cynical. bad combo
ReplyDeleteShe needs to lighten up.
ReplyDeleteSorry reader!
yeah totally "Him". after reading the paragraph I kind of had to go back and re-read the intro because i thought the guy was the one sending in the conversation...
ReplyDeleteReminds me of my dating days...
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ReplyDeletethis is a seriously who cares post. seriously who cares. the guy just came to fix my dishwasher, I can recount our conversation if you like, but seriously, WHO CARES?
ReplyDeleteBahahaha
DeleteClearly she didn't mesh with his sense of humour. I thought the namecalling/talking out of your ass comments were a little unnecessarily hostile. If it were a romantic comedy, she would be played by Katherine Heigl.
ReplyDeleteI guess whoever submitted this, won't likely cop to it, especially now.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it's the girl who submitted this. She comes off crazy uptight and way too defensive, and he seems like a nice guy. Her loss, his gain here.
ReplyDeletePlus I completely agree with him on the whole, registered party member thing. Who cares who you have voted for previously? Make your decision based on the situation that is before you now, and the current candidate. But I am Canadian so maybe I just don't understand how things are done there.
I read Atlas Shrugged six times - when I was a junior in high school. The first book I ever read about a political/philosophical point of view, and I thought it was fascinating. Part romance, part mystery, part pseudo libertarian. Made the world seem all black and white - which suited me when I was 16. Outgrew it fairly soon - apparently not all did.
ReplyDeleteEverbody who is even semi politically minded is going to have a major bug up their ass until the election.
ReplyDeleteThe dude was just trying to be funny and get laid. I think "her" needs to find some other social dating sites that cater to her educational needs.
Ain't love grand!
It's an awful book (and, yes, I have read it, along with other works by Miss Rand), but that guy is a complete dick. The more I read, the more I was certain he'd done one of those "pickup artist" courses and was trying to "neg" her. Ecch.
ReplyDeleteSunny horse- I would like to have an adult conversation. Why did you think it was horrible? Did you find no message to take away from it? Please don't spoil it. I would like to finish it for myself to judge as well. So far I think it has a good message. Yes she is very long winded sometimes. But other moments I would fly through pages in anticipation.
DeleteSorry, dear reader, but I like him better. I also like him a LOT better than "Doctor" David.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a bad match. Both insulted the other, to be honest.
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ReplyDeleteThe guy won. It was obvious the female (?) was trolling him, he handled it with class imo.
ReplyDeleteAyn Rand's writings are perfectly safe if you handle them as you would a reading of 'Mein Kampf'.
ReplyDeleteBooks by assholes to sell their assholic worldviews to other assholes.
Evil kumquat- you must be a real peach in real life.
Deletethis guy was being rude and negative, definitely not a good strategy for dating. team female.
ReplyDeleteobjectivism is pretty cool, as is ayn rand.
I guess I kind of feel the same way as Evil.
ReplyDeleteNot that isn't a good book, but yeah...
The good thing about Rand's writing is that the characters relish existence, love the earth and love their bodies, and they spit in the face of tradition and laugh at religion and engage in whatever debauchery they desire at the moment. The bad thing is that Rand and her cult were psychopaths. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
ReplyDeleteoh wait, the chick sent it in?! Hahahahahahahaha!!! Oh that's funny, she really needs to get that stick out of her ass for serious (begin by stop reading Atlas Shrugged and bragging about it on dating sites) and I can see why that dude trolled her.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine? Oh-so-serious-girl earnestly tells you how she just finished Ann Rynd's book and you're like "ohhhhhhh. well, this is awesome sauce."
I have to say I found him likeable, her a tad pretentious.
ReplyDeleteI will also admit to an extreme dislike of AR , (yes I've read her works), so I have to honestly wonder how much that affected my opinion....
He sounded like he was trying to keep it lighthearted and fun but she is just to stuck up to see it! I love someone with a different opinion it makes the conversations so much more interesting!!!
ReplyDeleteHe sounded kind of funny; she sounded defensive and lacking a sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised the guy continued on politely after being called a jackass. He seemed to be answering with humor, while she kept a certain level of hostility going on.
ReplyDeleteI don't see what the point of this is either. Just seems like 2 people who don't mesh and should not continue on.
I didn't read anything for months after I read Atlas Shrugged.
ReplyDeleteI'm siding with the guy, too - he definitely won the argument for me at every stage!!
ReplyDelete(I am also probably biased by my feelings about Ayn Rand. I can't think of much I find less cool, I mean give me a break, what is Reader trying to prove?)
ReplyDeleteAtlas Shrugged is one of my two favorite books, and I identify as an Objectivist. That being said, I can't really get behind the woman's point in this post. I agree with his last paragraph very strongly, but I think they both look bad here.
ReplyDeleteWith several of you on this, I thought he sounded fine. I thought he was making a joke about *Atlas Shrugged* and she kind of jumped off the deep end about it. There are books I adore (anything by Austen) but I don't expect everyone to adore them as well.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there was more to the exchange? Sometimes tone gets lost in email, but I think she needs a shot of tequila.
Dunno. Didn't think it was that bad.
This is actually a Blind Item and we are supposed to be guessing which reader is "Me" and which country "Him" lives in.
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ReplyDeleteI'm Team Him. Our reader doth protest too much, I'm afeared.
ReplyDeleteI hated ATLAS SHRUGGED and I don't like Ayn Rand. Yet I'm probably closest to a libertarian as I am to anything. Go figure.
(I always though Rand's work provided the bibles for the Libs, not the far Right, actually.)
Couldnt plow thru those books for nothing. Dispirited musings of an angry woman hooked on amphetamines. I dont believe the masses hv to be ruled by upper class cos we's to stoopid. Thats repub dogma to a t. She never get to tslk to anyone if she throws up these arbitrary roadblocks. He is well rid of her.
ReplyDeleteOK glad to see people siding with "Him" because I didn't understand the problem - he's just being silly / sarcastic and "Reader" immediately jumped down his throat.
ReplyDeleteBtw, well said on that last paragraph "Him"!! If more people thought this way, maybe we wouldn't be trillions in debt.
Surprised the girl sent this in, because if anything I think that she is the one who comes off looking bad. She really needs to lighten up, "Him" poked some innocent fun at the book she was reading and she seemed to lose her marbles; even when he tried to backtrack, she continued to insult him. It's really not that big of a deal if a guy isn't really familiar with Atlas Shrugged or if he doesn't find the wikipedia synopsis entertaining. And for her to expect him to "actually read the book" when he didn't think it would interest him based off the synopsis he read- that is just silly. There's not enough time to read every book in the world, we may as well stick to buying the ones that we think we'd like. This chick is going to be single forever if she continues being so uptight and unable to take a joke.
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