What do you think of this quote?

Question

"Tell me what a man finds sexually attractive and I will tell you his entire philosophy of life. Show me the woman he sleeps with and I will tell you his valuation of himself."

It's from "For The New Intellectual" by Ayn Rand.

Baba: I don't think the quote reduces women to objects. I get the impression that it means a man will always be attracted to the woman who reflects his deepest vision of himself. One that is certain of his own value, will want the highest type of woman he can find, the woman he admires, the strongest etc.

I don't always agree with Ayn Rand, so judge it by the quote not the author.

Answer 1

Sexual attraction is primordially physical, so philosophy has little or nothing to do with sex. An erection doesn't believe in God. There are millions of things that can be considered sexy, that it's very arrogant and narrow minded to believe that anybody is capable to determine someone's character by his idea of sexuality. A sunset can get me aroused as well as a piece of lingerie. Now, what does it said about the women sleeping with us. Isn't she judging them as well? George Bush is sleeping with a very nice woman, nevertheless he's an imbecile.
The quote is full of flaws.

Answer 2

I find Steven Wright quotes funny. Here are a few of them I found online. “Last year I went fishing with Salvador Dali. He was using a dotted line. He caught every other fish.” “All those who believe in psychokinesis raise my hand.” “OK, so what's the speed of dark?” “How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?” “Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have.” “My apartment was robbed and everything was replaced with exact replicas...I told my roommate and he said 'Do I know you?'” “Yesterday I told a chicken to cross the road. It said, "What for?"” “I Xeroxed my watch. Now I have time to spare.” “I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time.” “I wrote a song, but I can't read music so I don't know what it it. Every once in a while I'll be listening to the radio and I say, ‘I think I might have written that’.” “I installed a skylight in my apartment...The people who live above me are furious!” “My house is on the median strip of a highway. You don't really notice, except I have to leave the driveway doing 60 MPH.” “I bought a self learning record to learn Spanish. I turned it on and went to sleep; the record got stuck. The next day I could only stutter in Spanish.” “I spilled spot remover on my dog. He's gone now.”

Answer 3

I think she is wrong.

What *I* find sexually attractive in a woman I can identify point by point, but apply those points against another person and I might not be attracted to them at all.

Rand is a creature of surfaces, and I suspect her analysis wouldn't go deeper than whether you like a pretty face, curves or lines, lips or lashes. She ever was a materialist, very good at putting dollar signs on everything and knowing the worth of nothing at all.

And how typical that she would judge a woman as a commodity by which to label a mans self worth. If it wasn't so tragic it would be amusing.

"His entire philosophy of life" - here's mine Ayn. Love is as love does, and never ask if you are in love but ask how. That compassion is the yardstick of humanity. That hopes and dreams shape the future.

And Ive partnered women of all shapes and sizes, older, younger, casually, kindly, in relationships short and enduring and I can say with certainty...that I would NEVER date an Ayn Rand.

Answer 4

You folks need to actually see the total quote which is:

“Love is blind, they say; sex is impervious to reason and mocks the power of all philosophers. But, in fact, a person's sexual choice is the result and sum of their fundamental convictions. Tell me what a person finds sexually attractive and I will tell you their entire philosophy of life. Show me the person they sleep with and I will tell you their valuation of themselves. No matter what corruption they're taught about the virtue of selflessness, sex is the most profoundly selfish of all acts, an act which they cannot perform for any motive but their own enjoyment - just try to think of performing it in a spirit of selfless charity! - an act which is not possible in self-abasement, only in self-exultation, only on the confidence of being desired and being worthy of desire. It is an act that forces them to stand naked in spirit, as well as in body, and accept their real ego as their standard of value. They will always be attracted to the person who reflects their deepest vision of themselves, the person whose surrender permits them to experience - or to fake - a sense of self-esteem .. Love is our response to our highest values - and can be nothing else.”

A...

Answer 5

It is an extremely interesting statement. I do not think it is objectifying women at all. It gives us insight on men's inner thoughts and values. We all should stop and think about it for a moment. First part of this statement is referring to a female body type:
1. If he is attracted to very slender ladies, he is a caring kind of a man ( he has a need to take care of people he spends time with... The same might be the truth for men attracted to small women.... )
2. If he is attracted to someone large and strong: he wants to be taken care of ( he enjoys being mothered and protected... ) and so forth...
I would say it is a bit of a simplistic approach... But sometimes it is the right one...
People we sleep with are usually reflection of the state of our self esteem... It is about settling for someone less than perfect, because he doesn't think he is good enough for his dream girl...

Answer 6

Don't agree. I've slept with a variety of women, some that were nearly polar-opposites of each other. How can you say they represent who I am when these women were very different from each other? I slept with one intelligent woman that ended up going to Harvard, and I slept with a ditz that wasn't too bright. I've slept with women that are total mean b**ches, and women that are sweet as pie. I couldn't have been all of these dichotomies rolled in to one -- it would be pure contradiction.

I think this is another case of female-arrogance; in thinking they can understand men better than men do.

For example, look at the response above me -- "it gives us insight on men's inner thoughts and values". Based off of what? A woman's statement? She's the authority on men? This is what I mean by female-arrogance and their supposed "intuition" -- that they think women can accurately determine who men are and what men want.

Answer 7

Gosh- Who wrote that?

Obviously an incredibly bright person. When friends of mine enter into new relationships it is always interesting on the first meeting to talk with their new man.
Nine times out of ten I like the person they are with as usually they are articulate and very bright as well as having a sense of humour.
On the very odd occasion I do not take to the new man I feel it is that some men feel they have to compete with their girlfriend's friends.

Answer 8

It's nothing but an opinion that's all; doesn't mean that it holds true. I can say Golden Delicious Apples are the best in the world, because I said it doesn't make it true..

Answer 9

Ayn Rand - the well-known Fascist.

Answer 10

To be honest, I don't like how it reduces us to sexual accompaniments in a Man's Life, so I would not pay any attention to it.