“Not everyone believes what you believe.” “My beliefs do not require them to.”—The Matrix Reloaded
A rational man socially interacts for the purposes of pleasure and productivity, the sustenance of his body and the fulfillment of his spirit. He does not use others as a buffer between himself and reality. His style of dealing begins with respect for the natural requirements of the species Man, with the same expectation in return: freedom from coercion in any form. His means of trade and communication rely solely on individual consent and persuasion, necessitating no subservience. Men form civilizations to make life easier by offering their specialization in trade for the specialization of others, which creates the internal and external production hierarchy of superior, subordinate and peer, customer, supplier and competitor. The prohibitive social classes of men dissolve, and the worth of a man is defined by his productive capacity: his ability, effort and civility. This encompasses all the forms a human being can take, as its inverse describes our enemies as well. Production’s true opponent is not competition, but dictation (irrational regulation).
Moral men produce the relationships of master/apprentice, producer/patron, associate, friend and lover—all of which are guardians. The Self-made seek relationships for the creation and production necessary to sustain human beings, for moral confirmation of their style of living and for its celebration. The social reward of living is a precious compensation for his own virtue and provides cues for directional improvements in the pursuit of his own life.