Happiness In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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When you give someone a present, even something that may seem small or insignificant to you, and you see their face light up with joy and their big smile of appreciation they give you it makes you feel happy and good about yourself to raise their spirits. Also, when you’re working in a project together with others and you all do your share of the work and put it all together, you feel happy and proud of what you’ve accomplished, and even more so when you get to share that joy with others. These are good examples of helping to make others happy and, at the same time, be happy as well. The book Anthem, by Ayn Rand, shows that you can only be happy if you yourself look out only for your happiness and don’t have to make …show more content…
Just like my illustration implies, when you give people things out of the good of your heart, it makes you happy to see them happy. Even in Anthem, it gives an example of this. Before Equality 7-2521 changed and began to value his own happiness over that of his brothers, he stated, “Let us all work together, and harness this power, and make it ease the toil of men”

(Pg. 71). He wanted to use his invention to help others. Thinking about this and knowing how he can make life easier for others made him happy. Ayn Rand is not correct in thinking that you should value your own happiness more than others, because you can still be happy by making others happy.

Another claim Ayn Rand makes in her book is that you can’t be happy with others making all of your decisions for you. In her book, she states that in this society, “there is fear hanging in the air” (Pg. 46). This was because everyone lived in fear of disobeying the higher authorities and being different from their ‘brothers.’ Some agree with her point of view, mostly because they don’t like to be controlled by others. The thing is, she was basing this book upon an extreme collective society and ended with supporting extreme individualism through Equality. What she and these others don’t realize is there is a middle ground. You don’t have to give complete submission to others or just yourself to be happy. When people tell you …show more content…
There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving. Equality showed this characteristic when sharing his invention with others to make their lives easier. Also, when others follow wise advice, they prosper and are happy. They aren’t controlled by others, but instead choose to make their own decisions. Finally, happiness doesn’t have to be caused by one person giving it to themselves; others can make them happy too. Happiness is relative, but if shared with others, it will increase even
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