"Selfishness": for non-Objectivists ONLY?

Question

What is it about Objectivism's definition of "selfishness" that you disagree with, don't like, find objectionable, etc.
Rand defined it as "rational self-interest," but many of you have heard other lengthy descriptions of it.

To those who somehow missed it: the Objectivist's definition of "selfishness" is right there in Rand's own words.
And if there is no "objective" definition of selfishness, there can likewise be no subjective definition. Gandhi, by the way, was no Objectivist in any sense of the word.
No one who has answered yet seems to understand Objectivist is a well defined, well documented philosophy based on Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas.

Answer 1

The problem with her view of selfishess arises when she opines that it is desirable as one of the highest goods.

I have an excellent example in a friend of mine, who overflows with a bounty of self-interest and is a quite rational person. He considers waste products produced by his business to be of no importance, so long as he can store them in such a way that they will not poison anyone until after his death. "Once I'm gone," he argues, "why should I care what happens to the world?" And rationally speaking, unless he cares for something BEYOND himself, there's no reason that he should.

Rand also grossly overlooks what is sometimes called 'bad capitalism' or 'neofeudalism'. It serves a businessman's interests to cause his business to be profitable. If he can do so by driving superior products out of business, then he has served his interests at the expense of everyone else. We see this happen all the time with exclusive deals on distribution and sales, manipulation of prices and resources, and the like. It is relatively easy for an entrenched millionaire to crush the aspirations of a brilliant but poor inventor.

If you need a good example of this, how about Edison and Tesla? Edison once electrocuted animals with the alternating current Tesla invented to try and prove it was dangerous and that people should avoid it in favour of his own direct current applications. Certainly we was winning in the court of public opinion... he only lost out in the end because A/C was just to vastly, incredibly, inarguably superior. Edison of all people would have known that from the beginning. Just one nice example of self-interest there for ya.

I don't have a problem with how Rand DEFINES selfishness... I have a problem with how she SEES it. Nor am I the only one. Peace.

Answer 2

Everything a about Objectivism, and yea, Libertarianism is retarded. Rand says selfishness is "concern with one's own interests", which is not at all selfishness. Selfishness is more like "To care about only yourself."

Answer 3

First of all, I haver no idea what a non-objectivist is. Even Mahatma Ghandi was not a total objectivist. There is no way to define "selfishness" from someone who is "totally" objective" Dontcha get it?

Answer 4

True Self-ishness always leads to joy, because it
is motivated always by the desire to feel as good
as possible. It is only when we are Self-ish
enough to be, do and act in accordance with our
desires (not someone else’s) that it is possible
to stay balanced. Energetically speaking, a desire
is a rush of life force energy, a connection to
the divine inner self, which can never result in
actions that are harmful. It is only when true
desires are blocked that they become twisted and
ugly. This statement goes against the common
wisdom that human nature is greedy, violent and
primitive. Human nature is precisely the opposite:
we are born knowing ourselves as powerful,
eternal, spiritual beings. Petty, competitive,
churlish and violent behavior must be overcome
with suitable practice. Observe your family,
friends and coworkers. Almost all of them are good
people, trying to do the best they can. It would
simply not be possible to build a sophisticated
society if human nature was so base. All
successful societies are based upon cooperation,
not competition. Competition works not because it
is adversarial, but because it inspires teamwork.
Ask two angry guys to get something constructive
done, it is not going to happen. All success is
based upon cooperation. That is because we live in
an attraction based universe.

These natural impulses are supposed to be
dangerous because they stem from a primitive
survival instinct. But human being has a better
mind than animals. Just look around at the mess
the world is in! But that is a delusional
assertion, a denial of the basic nature of
consciousness itself. The natural impulses of
human nature stem from a connection to life force,
and it is resistance to this divine impulse which
causes the selfish behavior people object to.

If you observe people you will quickly see that
those persons who are most alive are full of
desire, and those who look lifeless have little or
no desire. Desire = life force. Shut off desire =
selfish behavior. It's ironic that selfish
behavior actually results from self-denial.

Human nature is not a primitive, biological
instinct based on survival of the fittest, it’s a
pure connection to source energy. It is divine.
It's only when that connection is closed off that
selfish behavior is demonstrated. Every one of
your desires is, in its non-resisted state, joyful
and balanced, because that is an inherent property
of consciousness itself. True selfishness is
allowance of desire, without resistance, and
results in the impulse to give freely to others.
But it is first necessary to allow that impulse
within yourself.

http://kjmaclean.com/Selfishness.html


True selfishness comes from the inner voice. It is
deeper than ideas generated by conscious mind.
It reflects the higher consciousness in us.
It raises the psyche and Self to a nobler level.

True selfishness transcends the limitations of
sub-conscious instincts. It speaks of what you
are as soul.

http://www.search.com/search?q=Psychology+Inner+Voice

Answer 5

I don't have any objections to it, and I'm not an objectivist.

Answer 6

one that only thinks of one's self first, never looking or caring about the needs of other's......aka my best friend's adult daughter....her picture is in the dictionary next to the word Selfish

Answer 7

it all depends on your definition of Objectivism's definition of "selfishness"