Are Objectivists Unique?
I just posted the following to the Atlantis discussion group at wetheliving.com:
Michael DeVault writes the following [on the subject of how Objectivists overestimate the “goodness” of Americans]:
I don’t mean to go off on a rant here, but our biggest fault here on Atlantis and among Objectivists in general is that we tend to think of ourselves as the normal, the average, and the typical mindset of the americans when in reality we’re as completely uncommon as a seven-hundred pound sumo wrestler winning the Boston Marathon.
Hm... Just to take your argument a step further, I’m not sure that even the Objectivist population is as different from the general population as you suggest.
Certainly, there are some outstanding people who call themselves Objectivists, including some who are very actualized beings, in the sense that Maslow would use the word.
Nathaniel Branden observed once, however, that you can’t tell anything about a person simply by the fact that he calls himself “an Objectivist.” (”Except, perhaps, that the person is somewhat less likely to attend church,” he added.)
Objectivists are certainly not happier than the general population. Take as a whole, they have no more equanimity, no more insight about their inner life, and no more integrity. They’re not any kinder, any more successful, or any more socially adjusted.
...At least, based on what I’ve seen (which includes 9 years as a club leader, 6 large conferences, and 10 years of Internet discussion groups). As a psychologist, it’s a topic in which I take some interest.
If I were to pick a few things that do often distinguish Objectivists from the general population, it would be a tendency toward arrogance (particularly intellectual arrogance), introversion, and judgmentalism. Again, there’s no corner on the market here; but these traits seem to be common among Objectivists.
Just some food for thought. I don’t claim to be exempt from these same attributes myself, by the way. ...Just taking notice of them. 
Arrogance...you say it as if it’s a Bad thing!
I’m kidding, of course.
I think you’re right on every count here.
So why do you think this is the case?
Joshua,
Thanks for pointing me to this piece! Correct me if I’m wrong, but your post looks quite consistent with mine.
Robert: in a nutshell, there is insufficient selection bias at work!!!
Kernon