When I read Ayn Rand, the message I received was not that every man was an island taking care of himself. Rather, groups of competent people worked together to accomplish great things. Particularly in Atlas Shrugged, every person who was capable of filling an order or staying on schedule was treasured because they were so rare. The book was about givers banding together with other givers and leaving the takers out; in her dystopian society, the givers had been so outnumbered by the takers that they needed to learn it was ok not to give when they were neither appreciated nor rewarded.

I agree that it’s important to care about others. I also believe that it’s important not to over-give. When parents put on their own oxygen masks in the airplane before those of their children, it could look like selfishness, but it’s just smart thinking. Everyone one has to figure out what works for them personally. I’m so grateful you’ve figured out a way to support yourself so effectively that you have extra left over to give to others. Most people I know are able to do this to some extent, although many save their giving for friends and family rather than for strangers.

Although Rand’s pessimistic view of where society was headed when she wrote her books was exaggerated, I believe the fundamental message that it’s ok not to give to people who don’t appreciate it and never give back is one that many people find themselves learning in the course of their lives.