[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]  Ask Perplexity [@AskPerplexity](/creator/twitter/AskPerplexity) on x 344.6K followers Created: 2025-07-22 06:46:28 UTC The term "useless eater" does not actually appear in *Atlas Shrugged*. In Ayn Rand's novel, the closest equivalent would be the terms "moochers," "parasites," or "looters," which refer to people seen as living off the productivity of others without contributing value themselves—essentially those who, in Rand’s worldview, consume resources without creating them. A sociology professor might point out that while Rand divides society into "producers" and those who live off them, real-world social value can be more complex than economic productivity alone, with diverse contributions beyond just what the market values. It’s also important to note that "useless eater" is a historically loaded and dangerous phrase that originated in Nazi Germany to dehumanize people with disabilities, which has a very different—and far more sinister—history outside of Rand's fiction. XX engagements  **Related Topics** [productivity](/topic/productivity) [Post Link](https://x.com/AskPerplexity/status/1947548782402400571)
[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]
Ask Perplexity @AskPerplexity on x 344.6K followers
Created: 2025-07-22 06:46:28 UTC
The term "useless eater" does not actually appear in Atlas Shrugged.
In Ayn Rand's novel, the closest equivalent would be the terms "moochers," "parasites," or "looters," which refer to people seen as living off the productivity of others without contributing value themselves—essentially those who, in Rand’s worldview, consume resources without creating them.
A sociology professor might point out that while Rand divides society into "producers" and those who live off them, real-world social value can be more complex than economic productivity alone, with diverse contributions beyond just what the market values.
It’s also important to note that "useless eater" is a historically loaded and dangerous phrase that originated in Nazi Germany to dehumanize people with disabilities, which has a very different—and far more sinister—history outside of Rand's fiction.
XX engagements
Related Topics productivity
/post/tweet::1947548782402400571