Атлант расправил плечи

           evotiontothepursuitoftruth,MissTaggart?Haveyouheardthemoralistsandtheartloversofthecenturiestalkabouttheartist’sintransigentdevotiontothepursuitoftruth?Namemeagreaterexampleofsuchdevotionthantheactofamanwhosaysthattheearthdoesturn,ortheactofamanwhosaysthatanalloyofsteelandcopperhascertainpropertieswhichenableittodocertainthings,thatitisanddoes—andlettheworldrackhimorruinhim,hewillnotbearfalsewitnesstotheevidenceofhismind!This,MissTaggart,thissortofspirit,courageandlovefortruth—asagainstasloppybumwhogoesaroundproudlyassuringyouthathehasalmostreachedtheperfectionofalunatic,becausehe’sanartistwhohasn’tthefaintestideawhathisartworkisormeans,he’snotrestrainedbysuchcrudeconceptsas‘being’or‘meaning’he’sthevehicleofhighermysteries,hedoesn’tknowhowhecreatedhisworkorwhy,itjustcameoutofhimspontaneously,likevomitoutofadrunkard,hedidnotthink,hewouldn’tstooptothinking,hejustfeltit,allhehastodoisfeel—hefeels,theflabby,loose-mouthed,shifty-eyed,drooling,shivering,uncongealedbastard!I,whoknowwhatdiscipline,whateffort,whattensionofmind,whatunrelentingstrainuponone’spowerofclarityareneededtoproduceaworkofart—I,whoknowthatitrequiresalaborwhichmakesachainganglooklikerestandaseveritynoarmydrillingsadistcouldimpose—I’lltaketheoperatorofacoalmineoveranywalkingvehicleofhighermysteries.