Importance of Public Opinion

When Hank Rearden finally arrives home form work and finds not only his wife and mother but also his younger brother and close friend, Paul Larkin, at his house waiting for him, he finds himself getting into various arguments about his job and priorities. 

Paul Larkin and Hank begin to speak about the Rearden metal industry, along with the concern that Paul has on the publics concern on Hank and his career. Paul begins to tell him that now a days, what the public thinks of you and writes about you on newspapers and articles really does matter and can severely impact his business. Hank does not understand the importance of this, especially because half of the things that people are saying about him really is true. Paul explains to Hank that people talk frequently about his ruthless attitude and his only goal in life which is to make money. 

This conversation between Larkin and Rearden really interested me due to the fact that this is something that commonly occurs to this day. The media is spreading different kinds of stories each and every day, regardless of the truth behind it. People are often intrigued by this news and often believe it despite how outrageous it may be. People are now taking the opinion of the majority, even if they do not agree, and that can lead to affect the popularity of a business, which was what Larkin was trying to explain to Hank as a warning.