“Men have been taught that the highest virtue is not to achieve, but to give. Yet one cannot give that which has not been created. Creation comes before distribution - or there will be nothing to distribute. The need of the creator comes before the need of any possible beneficiary. Yet we are taught to admire the second-hander who dispenses gifts he has not produced above the man who made the gifts possible. We praise an act of charity. We shrug at an act of achievement.”
– The Fountainhead
First appearing in an early 1930s short story, the character Superman would go on to star in numerous comic books, movies, and on TV. Born on the planet Krypton, the baby wonder was launched by his parents in a spaceship that landed in Smallville, America. Adopted by the Kent family and named Clark, the young lad would soon begin to reveal his superhuman powers, first through x-ray vision. Taught to use his gift for good and not evil, the selfless superhero saved many a damsel in distress. By the 1940s, however, a competing Superman would be introduced to reveal a very different leading man.
In Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel, “The Fountainhead”, Rand uses the fictional story of a brilliant, non-conformist architect, Howard Roark, to advance her philosophy, yet to be known as Objectivism. Showcasing Roark as a heroic figure who believes first in fulfilling his own purpose, his uncompromising character will make him unpopular with society's mediocrity. Set in the 1920s and 30s America, it is a tale written for the remnant about the talented “few” who focus on their own self-reliance over the ordinary “many” content to follow the crowd.
Beginning with the working title, “Second-Hand Lives”, Rand sought to expose the imitators who accept unearned accolades. With only a façade of competence, they build their power on the backs of lesser men. Resentful of those with the mettle and talent to stand alone, they condition society to worship mediocrity over ability. And are thus inclined to seek safety in numbers, demanding allegiance to the group, while ceding to the views and agendas of others. And the more they rely on the conviction of someone else, the more they secretly despise their own cowardice.
First-hander Roark, on the other hand, inspired a small group of independent and incorruptible men to carry on, by simply refusing to yield. Knowing that every compromise is a corruption of his soul, Roark accepts occasional defeat to maintain his authenticity. While never gaining the approval of the majority, he content himself with a niche market. And although he is laser-focused on his own improvement, he never disparages or attempts to interfere with what others choose to do. The Roark’s of the world are the pioneers, the creators, and the independents. They think, they produce, and they work all while benefiting mankind without shame or sacrifice. Despite being constantly disparaged for their selfish independence, first-handers refuse to squander the precious gifts they’ve been given. As fountainheads, they are the spring that constantly feeds the stream. They produce so others can consume.
Risk is the price they pay for attempting to create something new and profit is the return they receive when successful. It only takes the first man to surmount any obstacles and develop fields yet unknown. By developing their own ideas, their own goals, and by accepting their own responsibility, they make their mark. And by focusing on their own reality and what they can accomplish, they more often than naught, flourish. The journey is their greatest satisfaction.
In the novel’s final courtroom scene, the calm and collected Roark defends his name, certain of his innocence. Free of fear, Roark relays how in history men who have cut their own path, have so often been maligned. Believing in their own vision, they complete the work necessary to bring it to fruition, as he did by solving the societal problem of low-cost housing. He expressed how men have no obligation to others except to respect their autonomy and cooperate through mutual agreement and voluntary consent. They work as equals, never as masters and serfs. Creators are the ones who light the flame of imagination, while second-handers look to extinguish the spark altogether.
The altruistic Superman’s mission in life was to serve others. Howard Roark’s mission in life was to serve himself. By doing so, he created prosperity for his own sake and then for society. His superpower was his mind, which he too used for good. But Superman would never be more than a science-fiction fantasy, while Roark is a fiction come to life. And as Rand’s perfect man, ageless and immortal.
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