The famous author and founder of Objectivism, Ayn Rand, wrote a book called “The Virtue of Selfishness.” I have heard many a Marxist stand aghast at this concept. They recoil in horror at the thought of there being virtue in selfishness. They immediately call to mind images of spoiled brats going around stealing, killing, and beating people to get their way. They picture chaos. Marxist commentators (that usually hide behind the title of Socialist) pound this soapbox day in and day out. The only problem is that it is obvious from their actions that they have never read Ayn Rand’s books or, if they have, their minds were made up before they started reading them. I have read Rand’s Anthem, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and I would like to attempt to correct the misperception of the ideas presented.
Rand redefines the terms selfishness and selflessness. Selflessness is living a life of constant self-denial. This is not self-discipline or self-control. This is giving up on one’s ultimate dreams for someone else. Like someone that wants to be a musician, but whose parents push them into becoming a computer programmer. That person can never be happy, because they have given up happiness for others. Selflessness is also wanting something and trying to use things like legislation and lawsuits to steal it from someone else because you feel you “deserve” it, when in reality you are simply lazy and won’t work for what you want.
Selfishness is pursuing one’s own happiness without infringing on the rights of others. It means living by your own strengths and not leeching strength from others. It is the opposite of selflessness. There is room for altruism by choice, but in an Objectivist world, there is little need for it. All individuals wish to succeed based upon their own efforts. Individuals seek to constantly learn and improve themselves, so as they make errors that keep them poor and unsuccessful, they self-correct with logic and reason in order to improve and overcome their circumstances. Selfish altruism bases itself on value. Giving to persons that you know will grow and profit from the gift because you chose to do so is selfish altruism. Giving to the lazy and incompetent or because of some ridiculous sense of obligation is wasteful.
On the subject of the use of force in order to acquire, it is known and stated throughout Rand’s works that individual freedom and pursuit of happiness does not entitle one to the use of force to acquire happiness. On the contrary, Rand believed that using force to acquire would actually bring unhappiness. Man’s happiness can be achieved by pursuing his rational goals to their ultimate end. Life is not meant to be lived under the burdens of guilt and obligation. Living for others and denying yourself causes personal suffering, including feelings of guilt and obligation. Rand held that suffering was evil and not a virtue. We get one chance to live our lives, choosing a path of pain in order to achieve some mythical “higher level” that our minds cannot perceive or know is a useless endeavor and leads to wasted lives.
“I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.” –John Galt Atlas Shrugged
