Philosophy: Who Needs It? is the first essay in a book by the same name. It was given as a speech to the graduating class of West Point, and is burdened by some outdated partisan political comments.
As a work of persuasion, I've yet to find a more succinct or persuasive augment for the premise that everyone has a philosophy, either by conscious choice or by unconscious absorption.

Results / responses I hope for:

1. references to whatever better essays you have discovered that make the same points as Philosophy: Who Needs It;

2. Proposed reworking of the essay to improve it;

What I hope to avoid in the replies to this post:

1. A tired laundry list of the flaws, real or imagined, in the personality of Ayn Rand and the philosophy of Objectivism.

2. Blind "me too" fan comments, or blind "I hate her" comments. Say something substantive, please.

Rand once wrote an essay entitled "Conservatism: An Obituary". Within recent years, all sorts of Republicans have jumped on the bandwagon claiming to be her fans. She would have spit in the faces of those shallow dishonest scum. Conversely, I've seen socialists so desperate to put her down they've yelled "She was ugly"....yes, there are people so stupid that they judge what's inside a person's ideas based upon their physical appearance.