When I tell people I’m selfish, they usually don’t know what to make of it. You see, I’m a nice guy. I wish others well, I use my indicator when I drive, and at work I function well on teams. If I were selfish, shouldn’t I be trying to exploit and dominate other people? Not according to Ayn Rand.
Her philosophy, Objectivism, does away with both the exploited and the exploiter. My self-interest certainly does not lie in loving my enemy and turning the other cheek. Spiritually, this is self-abnegation; materially, suicide. But my self-interest also does not lie in dominating others. Al Capone’s whim-driven and anxiety-filled life is not a model for how to achieve happiness.
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