Bobbi has a good post up about the collectivist mindset. I particularly like this part.

"Folks who were there at the time point out how Ayn Rand could be utterly vicious to witlings and the ill-informed, especially later in life; witnessing this particular form of aristocratic Queen-Bee collectivism, I begin to understand how she got that way."

I certainly see how she got that way as well. As is evident from my writings I tend to get that way too. I tend to just get fed up with stupidity and ignorance, especially with those who act superior in their ignorance. Anything that differs from their collectivist "common good" worldview is bad and they act like they might die if they even have to be subjected to a different opinion. In short, they stick their fingers in their ears and scream about you being an evil meanie like stuck-up children. This kind of reaction makes the rest of us want to give up, or become even more vicious & poignant (like Rand) in which case the collectivists just see us as assholes.

I know I'm branded an asshole sometimes, but if being blunt, objective, and a realist makes me an asshole in some peoples' eyes then so be it.