Selfish Individuals

Monthly Blogs

Is an individual selfish? Do you have to be selfish to become an individual? What is "selfish"? When I hear the word selfish I think of someone who is greedy, stuck up, and has no care in the world for what others have to say and what they believe in. Ayn Rand would say that someone who is selfish is someone who looks out for their own self interest, because ultimately in the end it would lead to their own self-happiness. Howard Roark in The Fountainhead is Rand's ideal man. Some would say she was in love with him. However, while reading Fountainhead and discussing the characterization of Roark I couldn't stop to think if Rowark is really the ideal man.

Howard Rowark is set in his ways. He designs building that are modern and to his liking and if clients do not like his work, he would say get a new architect. He does not care to listen to what others have to say and what a client might want in their building. Rowark keeps to himself. Rand believes this is what makes an individual is an individual. Every man must live for his own sake. But how does one grow without taking into account the thoughts and beliefs of others?

Last year I had a few Howard Rowark's on my field hockey team. When a new coach was brought into the mix they did not feel the need to take into consideration her criticism because they thought their way would bring them more success. I, however, tried to keep an open mind. If the new coach gave me advice and it make sense then I used it to my advantage, to become more well rounded. Isn't the ideal individual "well rounded"? How can someone be well-rounded when they have Amish horse blinders surrounding their eyes leading themselves in one direction and one direction only? If a player on a team only works for themselves then how could the team succeed as a whole. Would that player reach true happiness if she made 3 goals but still lost the game 4-1? Aren't we all apart of a team called society? If everyone were to live for themselves, everything would be a constant battle and war. War does not equal that true happiness.

Rand expresses two different extremes, either live for yourself or live for others. In the end people need to have that happy medium. Rowark describes a creator as an individual and Rand describes an individual as selfish. I think that to be better creator you must consider and acknowledge what others are thinking and feeling around you so you can truly use that to your advantage and succeed beyond measures. Then the people around you would be happy and you would be happy because they are happy and because you are doing what you like to finally achieve that true happiness. Use others around you to help gain success and happiness because if everyone was selfish individuals, society would be going no where.