Ayn Rand, on Selfishness

[wlotus]

I have never heard anyone use the word "selfishness" in this way, but I understand where Rand is coming from. Instead of using the word "selfishness", though, I would say (and have) that a lot of what we call "selfish" is actually just a person taking a healthy interest in their own well-being and refusing to ignore their own needs just to satisfy someone else's whims. I only use the word "selfish" when referring to people who want to do their own thing while stepping on others, which Rand says is not what she means when she uses the word.

The meaning ascribed in popular usage to the word “selfishness” is not merely wrong: it represents a devastating intellectual “package-deal,” which is responsible, more than any other single factor, for the arrested moral development of mankind.

In popular usage, the word “selfishness” is a synonym of evil; the image it conjures is of a murderous brute who tramples over piles of corpses to achieve his own ends, who cares for no living being and pursues nothing but the gratification of the mindless whims of any immediate moment.

Yet the exact meaning and dictionary definition of the word “selfishness” is: concern with one’s own interests.

This concept does not include a moral evaluation; it does not tell us whether concern with one’s own interests is good or evil; nor does it tell us what constitutes man’s actual interests. It is the task of ethics to answer such questions.

"Introduction", The Virtue of Selfishness, by Ayn Rand

I doubt I could ever call myself an Objectivist, because I believe in helping those who are less fortunate, particularly when it comes to evening the playing field for historically oppressed groups. But there are portions of Rand's philosophy which match my own philosophy of life. This is one of them.

Comments

[tn-sehlat.livejournal.com]

I can't remember what book I read this in (some book about the curiosities of the English language), but an author suggested that people use the word "self-ful" to describe a healthy self-interest, as opposed to what would normally be described as "selfish".

He described how men and women act differently to getting autographed books for themselves. While men tend to be proud about it, women tend to be more embarrassed that they want the autograph for themselves. He started telling these women that they were doing and good and "self-ful" thing. I kind of hope it catches on.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

"Self-ful" is a good way to put it, since "selfish" has had so much negative baggage attached to it.

[lilrongal.livejournal.com]

So many people manipulated me by using the "selfish" card, until I was a broken down shell of myself. I refuse to let taking care of myself be labeled something evil again, especially so someone can use me and then discard me when there is no more left.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I know all too well how that goes. Been there, have dragged myself out of that and am rebuilding myself!

[tively-split.livejournal.com]

Personally I guess I tend to ask myself two questions about things. What's fair towards the other party? And what's fair to myself? And then try to balance those things, I suppose.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

That's something I've taught myself to do in recent years. People who would have me believe I am supposed to make them happy at all costs were less than pleased with me when I made that switch.