Above all, do not join the wrong ideological groups or movements, in
order to “do something.” By “ideological” (in this context), I mean groups or
movements proclaiming some vaguely generalized, undefined (and, usually,
contradictory) political goals. (E.g., the Conservative Party, which
subordinates reason to faith, and substitutes theocracy for capitalism; or the
“libertarian” hippies, who subordinate reason to whims, and substitute
anarchism for capitalism.) To join such groups means to reverse the
philosophical hierarchy and to sell out fundamental principles for the sake of
some superficial political action which is bound to fail. It means that you
help the defeat of your ideas and the victory of your enemies. (For a
discussion of the reasons, see “The Anatomy of Compromise” in my book
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal.)