# go Galt

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-galt
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To become a recluse and stop contributing to society, especially in the form of taxes, by reducing one's work or productivity or by refusing to follow societal norms that one believes to be unjust.

## Examples

- He decided to go Galt and quit his job.
- After years of frustration with the new tax laws, the business owner chose to go Galt and close his shop permanently.
- Disillusioned by the increasing demands of the state, the brilliant engineer chose to go Galt, retreating into isolation to escape a system he no longer supported.

## Origin

After John Galt, a fictional character in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.