“Maybe I was more fortunate than most, because one thing I learned very early from my family dynamic was that my parents were not infallible sources of information, ideas, or anything. Thus I started questioning just about every one, and every thing, to some degree or other. That habit has served me very well — sometimes even despite myself. When I first discovered the freedom philosophy, it was via Ayn Rand — and like so many others, I went a little overboard at first, despite identifying some problematic areas in her philosophy. After exploring them more with some friends, I was able to accept her invaluable contributions to my thinking and eliminate the junk. That process deeply reinforced my childhood lesson: principles and ideas matter more than the individuals who advocate them. It also helped me realize something that I touched on briefly here, earlier: true maturation involves gaining not just economic independence, but psychological independence as well.” (11/19/08)