"I swear—by my life and my love of it—that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine. "
Thank God that not many people embrace the "essence of Objectivist ethics" as stated in the quote above from one of Ayn Rand's works, at least not openly or as a intentional result of asking the most basic questions of life - "Who Am I?" and "Why Am I Here?"
Objectivism establishes priority of existence first. Identity is determined by existence, and consciousness is recognition of identity. Most every other philosophy distinguishes between life (as in existence) from life (as in sentient, self aware, intelligent) BY consciousness. Theistic worldviews further postulate that consciousness preceded and is prior to existence.
And the proof that consciousness precedes (and is prior to) existence is found in every single human invention throughout the history of mankind. The IPad, the IPod, the semiconductor, the steam engine, the telescope, the printing press, written language, the wheel and possibly even the spoken word 'existed' first in the conscious realm, even in the imagination, of their particular inventors before they ever existed (or were brought into existence by faith) in a form that could be experienced objectively by the five senses.
In the truth of this very observation is overwhelming evidence that consciousness preceded and is prior to creation. It is reasonable to assume that since nothing that man has ever created had existence before consciousness, that creation itself must have existed in the conscious realm, or what we can call the metaphysical, supernatural or spiritual realm, before it ever existed in the three dimensional form we can experience with our senses.
As to the impact of Objectivism, the negative implications of the essence of its ethics stated at the top of this post are self evident. If I live my life by this creed, I guarantee myself a life of utter loneliness and isolation, no matter how many people I have around me. I eliminate even the remote possibility of true intimacy and connection with others.
Almost every other worldview values the attributes of courage, selflessness, love, self sacrifice, humility and honor while devaluing the concepts of selfishness, even the cleaned up version promoted by Objectivism. Almost every philosophy and worldview - religious and otherwise - sees the value in treating others they way I would have them treat me, and living my life for the benefit and well being of those around me, even at my own expense and suffering.
Easter is coming, which brings the world's attention to the antithesis of Objectivist ethics, walked out by Christ took our sins, (mental, physical and spiritual diseases, blindness, failures and shortcomings) on himself, giving his body to be nailed on the tree, so that we, being dead to sin, might have a new life in righteousness, and by his wounds we have been made well.
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."