In it's most basic form, the ideas of objectivism can be seen summarized at this address:
http://www.aynrand.org/objectivism/essentials.html

 

 
Click here to go to the Ayn Rand Institute home page —the authoritative source on the Internet for Ayn Rand’s ideas.

AYN RAND

The Meaning of Life

There is none... we're all just a cosmic chance occurance. This does not take away from what it means to be human though. We have the ability to achieve great things. The best way to achieve these wonders can be seen below. Believe in yourself, not God!
Faith
"Religion, no--in the sense of blind belief, belief unsupported by, or contrary to, the facts of reality and the conclusions of reason. Faith, as such, is extremely detrimental to human life: it is the negation of reason. But you must remember that religion is an early form of philosophy, that the first attempts to explain the universe, to give a coherent frame of reference to man's life and a code of moral values, were made by religion, before men graduated or developed enough to have philosophy."

"My philosophy, in essense, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."

 

"Do you believe in God, Andrei?"
"No."
"Neither do I. But that's a favorite question of mine. An upside-down question, you know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, if I asked people whether they believed in life, they'd never understand what I meant. It's a bad question. It can mean so much that it really means nothing. So I ask them if they believe in God. And if they say they do--then, I know they don't believe in life."
"Why?"
"Because, you see, God--whatever anyone chooses to call God--is one's highest conception of the highest possible. And whoever places his highest conception above his own possibility thinks very little of himself and his life. It's a rare gift, you know, to feel reverence for your own life and to want the best, the greatest, the highest possible, here, now, for your very own."
-Ayn Rand, We the Living

These are some of the core conepts that are so close to the heart of one of the most sensible philosophies of all time. Created by Ayn Rand, Objectivism has gained world wide acclaim as well as criticism due to it's logical but controversial message. Selfishness is good.

"Men have been taught that the highest virtue is not to achieve, but to give. Yet one cannot give that which has not been created. Creation comes before distribution- or there will be nothing to distribute. The need of the creator comes before the need of any possible beneficiary. Yet we are taught to admire the second-hander who dispenses gifts he has not produced above the man who made the gifts possible. We praise an act of charity. We shrug at an act of achievement." Ayn Rand

Objectivism relies on pure competition. Why let anyone ride on your coat-tails? To push humanity to a higher level wouldn't it make sense that everyone do their best to achieve all that they can rather than suck society down to a lower level by leeching on to those who are actually doing what they should? You have no responsibility for others. For man to reach his apex he needs to be unfettered by the needs of others. Your only responsibility is your own productivity and happiness.

Objectivism

Believe in yourself, not in any church, not in society, not in fellow man.

Do not take things on faith for reason is man's greatest attribute.

Help yourself and do not rely on others; do not let others rely on you.

Man is an end in and of himself- not a means to any other purpose.

Your personal happiness is your primary moral obligation.

Achieve you greatest goals and productivity.

In doing so man becomes a heroic being.