In order to understand why it is a problem, we must understand why and that there is an alternative and why this alternative is preferable. The alternative to moralism is compassion and acceptance. Yes, even compassion for and acceptance of Immanuel Kant and Karl Marx. Before continuing, I should say a word about what I mean by acceptance. By acceptance, I certainly don't mean complacence or passivity. By accepting Adolph Hitler, I don't mean leaving him to perpetuate death and destruction and retreating to a cave to meditate. I also don't mean suggesting that Hitler is not responsible for his behavior just like everyone else. Were Hitler alive today, I would want to see him assassinated as soon as possible not because I harbor resentment but because he violates the rights of others and is a threat to life on earth. Moreover, I would judge him morally and I would judge his character morally. That is, I would recognize that he is a destroyer of life and is characterologically so. And if I were his psychotherapist, I would strongly encourage him to take responsibility for his behavior, just as psychiatrist Dr. Malfi does to mafia boss Tony Soprano in HBO's hit series, The Sopranos. But advocating taking responsibility, morally judging a person's character, and demanding justice do not entail moralization. By accepting Hitler, I mean in fact what Ayn Rand means by accepting reality. According to Rand, the essence of evil is evasion-indulging in fantasy rather than dealing with reality as it is. Rand applies this approach well to the metaphysically given but fails to apply it fully-at least in practice-to the man-made. If we spend our time fantasizing about being millionaires and think we can acquire our millions and a consequent level of happiness by stealing from others-as opposed to earning money by producing values-then we are evading, whim-worshipping, and doing ourselves more harm than good. In this case, it is metaphysically given that we must produce to gain self-esteem and to rightfully and safely acquire wealth. The same applies to the man-made, I would argue, as to the metaphysically given. When we moralize about others, we implicitly engage in fantasy that our enemies are destroyed or humiliated or that we are superior and right while they are inferior and wrong. We attempt to gain self-esteem through self-righteousness and indignation and a sense of safety by imagining the removal of the apparent threat to our values. The problem is that the benefit is short-lived. This feeling of security and superiority is evanescent. What are longer-lasting are feelings of frustration, anger, agitation, and alienation. Anger may be more pleasant than the emotion it covers, fear, but it is not nearly as pleasant as a sense of peace, satisfaction, tranquility, and connection to humanity.