When interviewed by Nathaniel Janss, Howard Roark explains to Nathaniel Janss that most people do not want reason on their side. He explains, "It's not you, Mr. Janss. It's the way most people feel. They have to take a chance, everything they do is taking a chance, but they feel so much safer when they take it on something they know to be ugly, vain and stupid." He tells Janss that building should be like that of the human body. He explains that the beauty of the human body is that every muscle has a purpose and there is no extra decoration on it that serves no purpose. He does understand why buildings should stand apart from this idea.

Throughout the book Roark's statement is proved various times. He was turned down many times by clients due to his lack of compromise on his buildings. He did not...