Rational selfishness, a term generally related to Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, means to seek to make yourself happy before others. Critics argue that rational selfishness permits harming others. However, Ayn Rand adds the proviso that you mustn't use force to impose your will on others. All in all, the rational selfishness can be viewed upon as the way of living your life in such a manner that your own happiness and hunt for various benefits in life can co-exist with the same will of others. This is, in essence, the basic rule of capitalism, of which Ayn Rand was an advocate. Ayn Rand (IPA: , February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1905 – March 6, 1982), born Alissa Zinovievna Rosenbaum, was best known for her philosophy of Objectivism and her novels We the Living, Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged. ... The Philosopher (detail), by Rembrandt Philosophy is a study that includes various diverse subfields such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics. ... Objectivism is the philosophy developed by Russian-born American philosopher and author Ayn Rand. ... Happiness is a prolonged or lasting emotional or affective state that feels good or pleasing. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Capitalism Capitalism has been defined in various ways. ...

Further, Ayn Rand discusses rational self-interest in which your happiness, in limited circumstances, can be enhanced by helping others; a related term is enlightened self-interest. Critics then argue that the boundaries of rational self-interest are fuzzy and that much misery can be neglected. Rand counters that various ideologies coerce individuals into self-sacrifice. Rand makes a point to argue against altruism, and what she views as martyrdom. Enlightened Self-Interest is the belief that the best thing you can do for yourself is to help others. ... Coercion is the practice of compelling a person to act by employing threat of harm (usually physical force, sometimes other forms of harm). ... Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning to make sacred, from Old Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome French, from Latin sacrificium : sacer, sacred; sacred + facere, to make) is commonly known as the... Altruism is the practice of placing others before oneself. ... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for his or her religious faith. ...

See also

• Rational egoism