I was struck by this quote from Casino Royale director Martin Campbell in this morning's Herald: Reflecting on the fact he has "slipped under the radar" as far as widespread recognition in his home country (New Zealand) and further afield, he says, "Recognition is bullshit. It's the work that's important."I was struck by that because that's precisely the reverse of how so many people see it, and because it was almost precisely the sentiment behind Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead, in which, in a climactic scene, architect Howard Roark explains to a man who has lost his soul through the rewards of second-handedness and recognition-seeking:
"Before you can do things for people, you must be the kind of man who can get things done. But to get things done, you must love the doing. Your own action, not any object of your charity. I’ll be glad if people who need it find a better manner of living in a house I designed. But that’s not the motive of my work. Nor my reason. Nor my reward. My reward, my purpose, my life is the work itself. My work, done my way. Nothing else matters to me."I feel sure Martin Campbell would agree. (And wouldn't Daniel Craig make an outstanding Howard Roark?)
RELATED: Films, Books, Objectivism
This man can't drive a manual car you know. Some James Bond. And he's blond, and is way too thin with a sunken looking face. Not aesthetically pleasing at all.
ReplyDeleteFor once we have a Bond that doesn't look and act like a cream-puff. This Bond kicks cats, sleeps with married women and is nasty to old ladies.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, a professional assassin would never be a hard arse. He should have a ton of show muscle, flowing black hair and turn heads everywhere he goes with his supermodel looks...
The first halfway credible Bond.
ReplyDeleteRecognition is not BS. This is the attitude NZ women complain about "NZ men are not ambitious".
ReplyDeleteRecognition is part and parcel of being an alpha male -- something all men should aspire to. This is why there is 'male drought' -- too few alpha males.
If you know you are good at what you do you should aspire to be recognised, should you not.
"If you know you are good at what you do you should aspire to be recognised, should you not. "
ReplyDeleteNo, you should not aspire to be recognised.
You should aspire to be good.
That's what honest ambition looks like.
If others recognise how good you are, then so much the better for them. :-)
Indeed, PC. I write my stories and indeed to publish them not for fame. I do it because I love the work. As one author once said, "A true writer writes. it doesn't matter if they get published or not. A true writer writes anyway. they can't help it. They love writing too much." That is how I feel about writing. I have been writing for the sake of the love of it since I was 10 years old and I will continue to do so until the day I die.
ReplyDeleteRecognition is not BS. This is the attitude NZ women complain about "NZ men are not ambitious".
ReplyDeleteThere is a huge difference between seeking ambition and seeking recognition and an even bigger difference between ambition and recognition. Ambition is striving to achieve things. Recognition is being recognised for doing things, deserved or undeserved.
Recognition is part and parcel of being an alpha male -- something all men should aspire to. This is why there is 'male drought' -- too few alpha males.
Bullshit! Men should strive to achieve not me an "alpha male".
If you know you are good at what you do you should aspire to be recognised, should you not.
I second what PC said in reply to that. If you are good people should recognise that, but you should not aspire to that. You should aspire to achieve.