The “Virtue of Selfishness”? Ayn Rand’s Ethics of Egoism in Your Own Life

Ayn Rand held that an individual’s pursuit of “his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.” Fifty years ago, Rand published The Virtue of Selfishness, a groundbreaking book laying out her ethics of rational egoism. What does it look like to be selfish in your own life? In this introductory talk, Elan Journo discusses Rand’s conception of morality and sketches what it looks like in practice.
Recorded May 7, 2014
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[@theone6189]

I experienced "Joe's" path. I haven't spoken to my parents for years, and I went my own path. They wanted me to be an intellectual; I wanted to be an entrepreneur and investor. It was rough at first, but in my mid 20s I was more successful than my parents had ever been. To this day, I haven't spoken to them... and I'm all the better for it. I have a strength inside me that I honestly think many people will never know because they never break that hold. Great lecture.

[@FlorisDVijfde]

Hopefully there can be healing. It sounds like the typical "revenge by success"". Revenge can feel empty. If you're happy then I hope you can convince your parents. Parents tend to project what makes them happy onto their kids. They may find your financial success hollow and superficial. But they should and could respect your hard work and dedication. Plus the fact that you're watching a channel about philosophy means that you certainly don't neglect your intellect! This stuff just may be more important to one's life than say Homer's Odyssey or James Joyce's Ulysses. But Rand's ideas have many enemies: all religions (90% of the world), including the religion of envy (socialism).

[@MGTOWPsyche]

So many people get coerced because of fear into doing what other people want. The scariest life is living for ourselves even if it displeases everyone around us.

[@hellolin324]

Spending others money to do something for others, what did Milton Friedman said about that?

[@TheWayoftheSith]

The scariest thing is facing our fears.

[@jeffreysegal2065]

Do all objectivists take far too long arriving at the point? Going so slow suggests that you don't value the intelligence or time of your audience.

[@exnihilonihilfit6316]

Don't you use the Speed option of KZbin? I use it regularly. For this particular video I used the 1.5 setting, because he's a bit slow. Usually I use 1.25. The "do all objectivists" bullshit is not really worth commenting - you're making an ass out of yourself.

[@kyleserrecchia5300]

And yet on almost every forum I've ever read no one seems to grasp Rand's argument for selfishness as it is (or they're dishonestly strawmanning it). Go figure. I think the slowness is a good thing.

[@larsp3280]

Joe became a doctor and developed his passion for photography as a satisfying hobby. It also allowed him to work in medical imaging technology. I hope.

[@FlorisDVijfde]

Joe seemed rather fickle (tried writing, programming and game design) so I would have my doubts about him persisting with photography. Possibly through trial and error he finally found the answer to be photography. Doctor is what his parents wanted him to be. "It's just a hobby" is the ultimate trump card and it should have been mentioned. If you're a doctor, you're not going to have much energy left. And if you're an impassionate doctor, that's actually dangerous. The topic reminds me of a nice little indie film about following your bliss: Interstate 60.

[@c2105026]

Fuuuck this is painful. 'Mum Dad I'm becoming a photographer' 'Ok sweetie, dinners at 6'

[@izi.z2384]

Mum Dad... I wanna Rock!

[@bretnetherton9273]

Reality is not two there can be no primacy. "Awareness is known by awareness alone," is the sole irreducible axiom of reality...

[@nofollowers6964]

Our society is rife with idiots telling you who you should be, or worse, who you are with cheap labels. And once they box you they ignore you for fresh prey. The best way to drive these idiots crazy is to become your own man or own woman AGAINST THEIR IDIOCY.

[@hellolin324]

Watching out for number one is literally what required of evolution, anyone who denials this are hypocrites because we are only altruistic enough to the point of satisfying ourselves first.

[@JohnSmith-xq6cv]

there is group evolutionary strategy too

[@IMfrederick]

I thoroughly enjoyed your talk, Elan. Kudos!

[@dankurz7675]

Elan, you truly are a pathetic drama queen. Good God!

[@tedoymisojos]

Its not that Joe wasn't selfish enough, is that Joe wasn't thinking things through enough.

[@jxr94115]

+Liz Torres Not thinking things through enough is an example of not being selfish enough.

[@WarVideo]

What a great talk, will the Q&A be posted?

[@Avidcomp]

He would have done better to have informed his parents along the way as to how hard his studies had been (drinking red bull etc) and the toll it had been taking on him. Whilst he was under their care, it would have served his and their interest to both be aware of those difficulties in order to see if he could have done anything differently. That certainly would have been better than suffering in silence for Joe, and for his parents to have had a more realistic idea of what their son was enduring. There could have been a few outcomes of this. Maybe his parents would have had the blow softened by the time it had become to much for Joe. Maybe they'd noted that Joe's nutrition was ultimately a key factor; i.e. Exercise, sleep and a healthier diet would have given Joe a fresher ability to focus without the strain that he was clearly enduring, therefore making his studies more manageable so he enjoyed medicine as a field. By not sharing the reality of the life leading up to the "showdown" they all suffered the consequences. It is because he was still under their care, that they all would have benefited by sharing the process along the way. Note: His parents ought to have allowed time to observe how their son's progress was going more carefully, rather than be focused on the title and status that they'd set their goals on, so it could be argued that his parents evaded the full picture; evaded reality.

[@izi.z2384]

At current stage of life I can now think of so many imaginative ways I could have handle these and similar issues in my younger years. At that time such suffering..

[@drstrangelove09]

The problem nowadays with college is NOT just the easy A classes, it is also the classes chock full of nonsense.

[@jonathonharbeck7287]

Chock full of consensus thinking

[@drstrangelove09]

@@jonathonharbeck7287 Chock full of postmodernism, feminism, identity politics, intersectionality, ....

[@justifiably_stupid4998]

Dangerously underrated content.

[@nicson1431]

That was a great talk! Wish I could've heard the questsions, though.

[@mileskeller5244]

Maybe THE longest thought experiment I have heard yet 🤣

[@sultanaljuhani1571]

Tip of tge day , Play it on x2 speed. Was very good lecture

[@lousia67]

thanks

[@kwnortherner]

Every fight between a child and his parents ever

[@ImaginaryMdA]

Damn, I hate open endings...

[@estrellagapuz6202]

Asking our parents to send us to college is a commitment. Not a right.

[@looper2586]

Absolutely love the energy of that guy

[@chuckkostrzewa6960]

What this talk is about is if all goes well in life and stickling your plan of destiny , provided you are given that protected privilege... Now include "RESSIONS", political manipulations of the markets,divorces, pregnancies, ETC.,ETC.,ETC. Things that go BOOM in the night. Those things that you do not count on but happen. But, a great social fairytail....... Life is what happens when you make other plans!!!!

[@christianhinojosa848]

Good talk

[@rowrowgabro5333]

Very inspiring video!

[@glennmartin974]

Just nodded and agreed with my parents (who wanted me to be a Dr. or Lawyer) and then did what I wanted to do anyway. Had no problems. Parents did not blink. Why do some go for what they want with no regrets and others not ? ( Decided that I would do what I wanted well before I read Rand . . but maybe my parents were less controlling ? )

[@MrJoshie333_]

Hello fellow FCA classmates!

[@regardsome]

I don’t remember this episode of the office

[@jamalcannon9347]

Is there a way I can download this?

[@theshirehighlander7292]

Jamal Cannon copy the url and paste here en.savefrom.net/ good luck!

[@anthonyrobertbakula3895]

Joe sounds like he'd make a good radiologist.

[@philippeaftereight]

There are no selfless good deeds

[@masondrip42]

disagree, you take truth to the unreal extreme end

[@scf828]

hes so handsome.

[@anaglyphx]

This man is beautiful.

[@hob976]

Joe has the aptitude to get through med school and he's got all his thoughts in order to be a doctor -- but then he becomes too shortsighted to know that there's more to processing a photograph than just taking it... and he doesn't know about rain. He doesn't know that he might have to spend time at a computer... I feel stupid for listening to that whole story.

[@anarhistul7257]

Explain to the parents the value of artillery bombardment

[@Ricflaireofastora]

"I don't want to be a lecturer, mom and dad. All I want is wasting your time and mine" - this guy

[@jacobstromburg5803]

This story is too rambling and long winded.

[@jwetzel3141]

As if people somehow know what will make them happy for more than 5 minutes.

[@Solaris501]

Get to the point about joe. Jesus Christ

[@lifeisabadjoke5750]

Do whatever makes you happy, think for yourself & control your destiny. Save you 40 minutes of your life. You’re welcome

[@FlorisDVijfde]

He made a good point about long term happiness. Potato chips and chocolate make me happy on the short term. Attempting full control of destiny is a fool's errand, but taking more responsibility for it is key, focusing solely on those things you can change.

[@mikebirminghamnz]

Sorry you lost me with that loooonnng story

[@IlluminatedGame]

1:04 Insomnia not that common for a 20 year old? I don't think that is true.

[@caleb6595]

joe momma

[@brd8764]

She was careful about germs. She selfishly cared for her own health.

[@jessewallace12able]

What is this accent?

[@nursultannazarov8379]

Indian

[@masondrip42]

you can’t do what makes you happy. you need to secure your financial future, you like photography great. make it your most funded hobby

[@mchlbk]

This is deep until you grow up. Rosenbaum ('Rand') probably suffered from autism and she appears to have been a sociopath too.

[@jessewallace12able]

You could say that about anyone and anything.

[@TheNoblot]

selfishness is impossible for the human being, as he is a duality, unfortunately, there are men & women/ this duality makes the human mind. however an individual that is manufactured he will have just an individuality/ in huxley brave new world is quite easily explained.

[@dougpridgen9682]

Why is the fact that there are two genders unfortunate? How does that duality make the human mind? What did Huxley say, and how do you know he's correct? Please show your work and provide evidence to support your assertions if you want to be taken seriously.

[@kyleserrecchia5300]

But here I am and I am selfish. I only take actions so that I am the ultimate benefactor of them. My existence disproves you.

[@theteach7314]

Justification for looting pensions and insider trading.

[@clintcarter]

the teach You missed a key point in that stealing or murdering others is not in your true or clear RATIONAL self interest. It may be self interest, but not rational self interest. Which means you understand cause and effect or foresight and understand that by stealing or murdering others increases the potential to make others want to hurt or take away from you at some point in the future. Creating revenge or spite in others is not good for your self interest.

[@FlorisDVijfde]

@@clintcarter unless you get away with them? But these two examples should be criminal by law. Objectivism does not advocate crime, it assumes a decent amount of law and order it seems, with the Al Capone example. If you were able to commit the perfect crime, would objectivism label it rational? Arguably not because then a lot of energy is being put into something destructive rather than creating something valuable which is self destructive and irrational.

[@MonotoniTV]

He needs to get too the point 😂 He's definetly not a really good speaker and seems a bit insecure about what he's talking about

[@masondrip42]

don’t watch it. i enjoyed him

[@MonotoniTV]

@@masondrip42 i did too. Yet he needs some time to explain what he's saying