Time and time again left-leaning political commentators will bash author and philosopher Ayn Rand for her use of the word “selfish” in her work. They will never enlighten their audiences about the different interpretations of Rand’s use of the term, and will rely on surface-oriented interpretation to use Rand as a stepping stone in their agenda (doesn’t that sound a bit selfish?).
An example of this dumbed-down approach can be seen in a video by political commentator Robert Reich, who gives an incredibly manipulated explanation of Rand in order to push his political agenda.
I have read two of Rand’s novels, Atlas Shrugged (1957) and The Fountainhead (1943), and her book, Anthem (1938). After reading her work, I have developed my personal interpretation of her use of the word “selfish” which sheds more light on her thinking.
Criticizers will often sum up Rand’s use of the word “selfish” as people taking whatever they want whenever they want with no regard to others. I do not consider this to be what Rand meant. Rand emphasized that selfishness is to reach a level of well-being. Can a person achieve a level of “well-being” by being completely independent and never thinking of others? In most cases, no. A person must interact with others and show a level of thoughtfulness in order to receive thoughtfulness from others. This is how humans often achieve well-being.
As a result, a person can actually help others while pursuing his or her own selfish desires. For example, giving a gift to someone can actually be a form of selfishness. How? Because the person who is giving the gift may benefit from seeing the joy of the person receiving the gift. Think of a husband giving his wife a gift, and the joy he feels when he sees a beautiful smile on his wife’s face. Her happiness makes him happy, fulfilling a level of selfishness.
Another example is that a woman may feel sorrow for homeless people in her neighborhood. One day she decides she is tired of feeling sorry and wants to do something about it (in other words, she wants to change from being sad to happy, a form of selfishness). As a result, she begins volunteering in a local homeless shelter and feels more fulfilled. Yes she is helping others, but she is also helping herself.
Rand even gave more insight into her ideal concept of selfishness in her novel Atlas Shrugged. In the novel there is consistency in the protagonist characters pursuing their selfish desires while coincidentally helping others, while the antagonist characters who were at a psychotic level of selfishness were a detriment to society. It was clear that Rand did not admire the antagonist characters, but unfortunately the personalities of these characters are what criticizers of Rand often use to explain her concepts of selfishness.
Interpreting Rand’s concepts will continue to be an ongoing discussion, but know that the criticizers of her work often rely on surface-oriented interpretation and dumbing down of their audiences in order to push their political ideology.
Lauren Ell is an American blogger born and raised in Southern California and is currently based in Sweden. She discusses Epilepsy, Politics and Fun. Professionally Ell is an Online Marketing Consultant and Virtual Assistant. She is also founder and president of Republican Atheists. Connect with Lauren on Facebook and Twitter.