25 Fountainhead Quotes For Your Inspiration

By Norbert Juma
Master quote curator and editor on a mission to inspire

Published May 5, 2023

Fountainhead quotes are known to offer a heavy dose of inspiration.

This is why we created a list of the best Fountainhead quotes.

Apart from the quotes, you can learn about the Fountainhead novel through the section below.

So, let’s dive in!

An Intro to the Fountainhead

Fountainhead is a popular novel written by Ayn Rand and published in 1943.

This novel serves as a testament to Ayn’s philosophy of Objectivism.

This book caused a stir in the intellectual and literary communities just after its publication.

When it comes to modern literature, the Fountainhead is referred to as an undisputed masterpiece.

Plot

The Fountainhead is a story of a young architect named Howard Roark.

He is determined to build structures and buildings which can reflect his unique and futuristic vision.

Roark has an attitude that makes him stern and uncompromising.

This damages his relationship with the establishment.

Peter Keating is a rival who exacerbates Roark’s struggles.

Peter is a successful architect who has become successful and popular by working in line with the wishes of the establishment.

The novel unfolds Roark’s journey as he resists the pressure to stand against the status quo.

Character List

Here is a list of the main characters:

Howard Roark: Architect and hero of the novel.
Peter Keating: Roark’s rival and a successful architect.
Dominique Francon: A complex character who can’t choose between Roark’s individualism and the establishment’s conformity.
Ellsworth Toohey: A journalist who promotes mediocrity and conformity.

Themes

The major themes depicted in this novel are as under:

Objectivism
Individualism and conformity
Good and evil
Use of architecture as a metaphor

Objectivism

Throughout the novel, Rand pays a lot of stress on his philosophy of Objectivism.

He emphasizes the importance of individualism, self-interest, and reason.

These aspects are vividly shown in Roark’s character.

He takes into account these values while creating a building or architecture.

Individualism and Conformity

The central theme of this novel relates to a conflict between conformity and individualism.

Rand presents Roark as a hero who is not willing to compromise his vision of creativity.

Society makes fun of him and rejects him immediately.

The hardships faced by Roark are contrasted with the fruits enjoyed by Peter Keating.

Good and Evil

The Fountainhead draws a clear distinction between good and evil.

Roark is portrayed as a presenter of good forces.

The establishment, on the other hand, represents the forces of evil.

Use of Architecture as a Metaphor

Rand depicts architecture as a metaphor for a person’s struggle against mediocrity and conformity.

The architectural designs of Roark have a spark to stand out.

On the contrary, the architectural style preferred by the establishment is unable to inspire.

Top 5 Fountainhead Quotes

These are the top 5 Fountainhead quotes compiled for you.

1. “Every form of happiness is private.” — Ayn Rand

2. “The senseless is the major factor in our lives.” — Ayn Rand

3. “I can’t live a life torn between that which exists—and you.” — Ayn Rand

4. “They were simply four people who liked being there together.” — Ayn Rand

5. “I could die for you. But I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, live for you.” — Ayn Rand

Fountainhead Quotes for Motivating Yourself

These fountainhead quotes can be used to motivate yourself to strive for your goal.

6. “Compromise now, because you’ll have to later, anyway.” — Ayn Rand

7. “Every building is like a person. Single and unrepeatable.” — Ayn Rand

8. “But a desire to choose the hardest might be a confession of weakness in itself.” — Ayn Rand

9. “It’s the hardest thing in the world—to do what we want. And it takes the greatest kind of courage.” — Ayn Rand

10. “This is the time to merge his self in a great current, in the rising tide which is approaching to sweep us all, willing or unwilling, into the future.” — Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead Quotes About Story

The following Fountainhead quotes are about the story of the novel, which gives the reader some idea about the storyline.

11. “And isn’t that the root of every despicable action? Not selfishness, but precisely the absence of self.” — Ayn Rand

12. “She had not noticed him take her hand; it seemed so natural and what she had wanted from the moment of seeing him.” — Ayn Rand

13. “Catherine had said it, he was selfish; everybody was selfish; it was not a pretty thing, to be selfish, but he was not alone in it.” — Ayn Rand

14. “It was a pedestal from which a god had been torn, and in his place there stood, not Satan with a sword, but a corner lout sipping a bottle of Coca-Cola.” — Ayn Rand

15. “If I found a job, a project, an idea, or a person I wanted—I’d have to depend on the whole world. Everything has strings leading to everything else. We’re all so tied together.” — Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead Quotes that will make you Emotional

Some of The Fountainhead quotes that have emotional value are shared with you as follows.

16. “To say “I love you” one must know first how to say the “I”.” — Ayn Rand

17. “Can’t you ever do things without reason, just like everybody else?” — Ayn Rand

18. “She thought, I’ve learned to bear anything except happiness. I must learn how to carry it.” — Ayn Rand

19. “You never wanted me to be real. You never wanted anyone to be. But you didn’t want to show it.” — Ayn Rand

20. “The hardest thing to explain is glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see.” — Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead Quotes about Feelings

The following Fountainhead quotes express various feelings of the author about various aspects of life.

21. “Freedom (n.): To ask nothing. To expect nothing. To depend on nothing.” — Ayn Rand

22. “And what, incidentally, do you think integrity is? The ability not to pick a watch out of your neighbor’s pocket?” — Ayn Rand

23. “To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That’s what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul – would you understand why that’s much harder?” — Ayn Rand

24. “Have you felt it too? Have you seen how your best friends love everything about you except the things that count? And your most important is nothing to them; nothing, not even a sound they can recognize.” — Ayn Rand

25. “I regret nothing. There have been things I missed, but I ask no questions because I have loved it, such as it has been, even the moments of emptiness, even the unanswered-and that I loved it, that is unanswered in my life.” — Ayn Rand