Living for Others

            Ayn Rand’s descriptions and obvious opinions of Peter Keating and the way that he lives his life forced me to examine the way that I live and the way that I have been told that I should live.  From a young age, my parents and teachers have stressed the importance of service and living for others, using everything that I am given and all of my talents to help those who are not as privileged as I am.  Rand, however, seems to completely disagree with this notion, making depicting Keating as weak and incompetent for his eagerness to please others.   Where is the line between wanting to make others happy and basing success on other’s happiness, which we inevitably can’t control?
            I believe that there is a way to strive to please others and to dedicate your life to service without losing sight of your separate goals and values.  But I think this also ties in nicely to our discussion a couple of weeks ago about what we are to do when those around us just want us to be happy.  On what are we supposed to base this happiness?  I have a hard time believing that wanting to please others with my life means that I lack drive and direction, or competence as Rand goes as far as to say.  It’s necessary, I think, to not use this desire for service as an excuse not to make decisions for yourself, as Keating does, but I think it is possible to want to live to please others while having separate goals and ideas of success that are based on yourself and what you can achieve.


            -Bridget

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