Just stumbled across this site a few weeks ago. Signed up then but held off my introduction until I could look through a few more of the past conversations. I read through Atlas Shrugged while in high school, but its meaning was just lost on me then. I didn't want to believe in other people then, and I didn't want to believe in myself either, so you can see how I'd been antagonistic to the idea of any man being a heroic being. There's more to the biography, but suffice to say that I eventually figured out that the reason I didn't want to believe in others is because I didn't allow myself to believe in myself. Eventually, I followed that realization to along its logical course, re-read A.S. three years ago, and have been a student of Rand ever since. My first step sounds a bit wrongheaded looking back on it, but it sent me down this course of thought none the less. Nothing much else to say that won't come out in conversation along the way, except that I don't share Rand's views of religion. It's a pleasure to meet you all, and I look forward to the discussions. Cheers! Adam