What did you learn from Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged"?

At the time I read it the meaning was simple:

I was one of the better people, much smarter and more able than others and the mass of other people were always trying to keep the best makers of things down.

For about 3 months I really got into it. I was living on saved money and worked a job while getting pretty much all As in my first year in college. I admired my mathematics teachers and felt contempt for the social science department, though I loved economics.

I got to the point where I even thought about not taking government grants and loans, and making the money myself.

When I told my mother, a life long Republican, of my idea she made it clear that I was to take everything the government gave me.

Which lead me to a more realistic review of how my life was only made possible by the contributions of government help, and the end of my love affair with Rand.