But we also learn from myths and stories. We read, watch, and listen in order to learn how to live. It is a thought machine, by which we test out our ideas and feelings about some human quality and try to learn more about it. The role of philosophy, specifically ethics, is to evaluate what we learn from personal experience and stories and on that basis to form enduring principles of how to live. Our spirits need more than philosophy though much more.
Philosophy is only the skeleton of wisdom.
Life experiences and stories are the flesh. All too often, Rand's achievement has been stripped of the sinew and muscle that make her work so inspiring. As a result, despite its growing impact, Objectivism is not nearly as influential on our culture as it might be. We are neglecting the inspiring power of myth. To bring Objectivism to life for the large majority of Americans, we must vivify it by story story that speaks to the heroic potential of all of us, in ways both new and familiar.