Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And it makes the season all the more joyful and meaningful.
Do you love this time of year? I do, too. I especially love the three big holidays—Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s—and how they form the season of reason. It’s as if Jean-Baptiste Say and Ayn Rand arranged them together: production, consumption, and self-improvement.
As Say observed, production necessarily precedes consumption: In order to exert demand in the marketplace—in order to purchase goods or services—you must first create something of value, something people want and are willing to buy. Who does that? Producers do. You do. And Thanksgiving, as Rand observed, is the producer’s holiday. It’s a celebration of—and a time to thank—the men and women who produce the values that sustain our lives and enable us to thrive. So, thank you.
Then comes Christmas—the consumer’s holiday. Because we have produced, we can consume. And consume, we do.
In the ramp-up to Christmas, we leverage the wealth we’ve created. We purchase gifts for friends and family. We throw and attend lavish parties. We sing Christmas carols, kiss under the mistletoe, watch Die Hard (yes, it’s a Christmas movie), and generally celebrate our lives, relationships, and happiness. It’s the most benevolent, most joyful time of year.
Next is New Year’s—with its focus on thinking and planning for self-improvement. This is the egoist’s holiday. It’s a time for all of us to focus our minds, explicitly and intentionally, on how we can level up and thrive even more in the coming year.
Combined, the three holidays are about what it means to live fully: To flourish, we must produce, consume, and continually improve. It’s the virtuous cycle of life.
At Objective Standard Institute, we take pride in the fact that we focus on this cycle—and the ideas that make it possible.
We produce articles, videos, courses, and conferences centered on the virtues of being productive, spending your wealth on things you love, and constantly leveling up in life. And we go deeper.
We teach people about the fundamental ideas, the philosophic principles, and the social conditions on which individual happiness and social harmony depend. And we do so in a unique and effective way.
Unlike organizations that focus exclusively on Ayn Rand’s ideas—or exclusively on economics or politics or the like—OSI takes a holistic approach. We teach people about the importance of philosophy, the principles of Objectivism—and related ideas for living fully and advancing liberty.
Our materials and programs include deep dives into the history of philosophy, the history of liberty, and the morality of capitalism; deep dives into the nature of concept formation, the principles of logic, and the art of thinking; deep dives into self-development, career development, art appreciation, friendship and romance, health and fitness, mind-body integration, secular spirituality, and more.
Why such breadth and depth? Because in order to live the very best life you can, you need a comprehensive worldview—one that integrates all of the key aspects of human life.
OSI helps people develop a rational, holistic, expansive worldview. This is what makes OSI different. This is how we are improving the world.
If you appreciate OSI’s mission and programs, please support our work with a tax-deductible year-end contribution.
If you have any questions about OSI or how you can help, I’d love to speak with you. Email me at [email protected], and let’s schedule a call.
As for Christmas, enjoy the consumer’s holiday—and love your loved ones with all of your soul. That’s what it’s all about.
Objective Standard Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. OSI’s federal identification number is 84-3575279.
