Ayn Rand and Thrift

 

I just watched an interview with Ayn Rand, and I feel so depressed. There's no hope in Rand. There is only the end of oneself. There is no continuation beyond one's own life. I searched high and low for a quote to summarize the interview, but couldn't find it. To see her speak was a unique experience. To take anything she says out of context is to misunderstand her true intent.

Thrift is about the integration of everyone else in the world into one's own life. I have to spend energy, time, money. I have to wash, repair, upcycle. All of these things I can do by myself, but they require that I release my sense of control. I will never be able to find exactly what I want, in perfect condition. I must let go of my expectation that my desires are utmost in my mind. I begin to think of other people. Why does thrift exist? For the poor (Catholic Charities). For the needy (Thrift Stores for Military Veterans). For the jobless (Goodwill). For the addict (Salvation Army). The list goes on and on. One cannot keep from helping people in the thrift world. And the thrift world is, at its essence, in the business of helping.

There's nothing wrong with Rand; she isn't evil. She is looking for a way to happiness, and a purpose in life, and she happened to be brilliant and articulate and prolific at the same time. And she made a lot of people think. She made me think today.

But she still makes me sad.