"Love is not self-sacrifice, but the most profound assertion of your own needs and values." - Ayn Rand
"Love is not self-sacrifice, but the most profound assertion of your own needs and values. It is for your own happiness that you need the person you love, and that is the greatest compliment, the greatest tribute you can pay to that person." - Ayn Rand
AJAshinoff's example above of parenting is what I would consider a quintessential example: parenting is sacrifice (again in common - not Objectivist terms). Why do people do it then? Because they want the joy that comes with parenting, even though it may mean fighting through pain, sleepless nights, dirty diapers, endless loads of laundry, stepping on legos in the middle of the night, etc. That joy is only available to parents but they must forego (sacrifice) means and current pleasures to obtain it.
But the real determination of whether or not something is merely wasted or invested ultimately comes down to an individual perception of value. And my caution would be not to attempt to value someone else's decision according to your prejudices. All matters of value are ultimately subjective and in the eyes of the beholder. It is this pursuit of value (or as the Founders put it "Happiness") that is protected as an inalienable natural right.
I love this comment.
I try to clarify when people use the non-Objectivist definitions.
Non-Ayn Rand fan:"He was being selfish, just blatantly putting his own needs ahead of the employees, when he told them they would keep their jobs if they worked hard and sacrificed."
Ayn Ran fan: "The problem, though, was that the employer lied. Those employees didn't want to keep their jobs because someone took pity on them. They wanted a situation where their employer put his needs first meant keeping them on the job. They weren't sacrificing because they felt sorry for the employer. They were doing it in exchange for something they wanted. It's unfortunate the employer didn't keep his end of the bargain."
I hear this type of thing all the time. I let it go unless I it's easy to point out. When someone says "put her own needs ahead of others" as if it's a bad thing, I can't resist rephrasing it.
rifice. A "sacrifice" would be letting your own
children die in order to save others' children.
I would die and/or suffer to save my children and/or wife. I would sacrifice SELF, my life, for their benefit, their continued well being and/or existence. I would be acting selflessly; this IS sacrifice regardless of the Rand rubicon.
Objectivism has their own terms for things but it in no way corners the market on meaning.
Not true AJ. This is actually the opposite of what Objecitivism stands for.
So we start on an even playing field, let's begin with some dictionary definitions...
Self-sacrifice: "the giving up of one's own interests or wishes in order to help others..." ( https://www.google.com/search?q=defin... )
Selfish: "...concerned primarily with one's own interests..." ( http://www.dictionary.com/browse/self... )
On to the meat...
If your children's lives are your highest value, we can say they are your "own interest." Using the self-sacrifice dictionary provided definition above, replace the phrase "one's own interest or wishes" with "my children's lives" and read aloud, "the giving up of my children's lives in order to help others..." - in your case, that would be self-sacrifice.
If you value the nation's welfare above your own, we can say the nation's welfare is your "own interest." In the dictionary provided definition above, replace the phrase "one's own interest or wishes" with "my nation's welfare" and read aloud, "the giving up of my nation's welfare in order to help others..." - in your case, that would be self-sacrifice.
The giving up of something of lesser value (your life), to that which you consider a higher value (your children's lives), is not "self-sacrifice." It is living in accordance with your personal value system. And, there is nothing wrong with valuing something like your children's lives above your own. That is your choice and it is yours to make.
Let's go simpler...
Giving up higher value to lower value = self-sacrifice
Giving up lower value to higher value = not self-sacrifice.
"higher value" = "your child's life"
"lower value" = "your life"
Giving up "your child's life" to "your life" = self-sacrifice
Giving up "your life" to "your child's life" = not self-sacrifice.
If your child's lives are your #1 priority, you giving up your life for theirs is in no way a selfless act. It is, however, as every dictionary clearly states, an entirely selfish act.
Is this starting to click a little?
More than once I've come to head with folks here over the difference in meaning of key words. Sometimes I can resolve the difference, sometimes I can't. Of course I can't think of them off hand.
I am a selfish person.I fully admit that and am quite adamantly proud of it (much to my wife's chagrin). My family, my businesses, my commentary, my radio stint, my novels, my game project are all things I do/have done because I wish to.
We each only have one life.
We may make more lives (kids) but that doesn't in any way diminish the worth (value) on the single consciousness we are each given.
It is selfish to do for my family because its what I wish to do. I get it.
Still, spending my 50 year old life to preserve the lives of my 20 & 22 year old kids is self-sacrifice in the sense that my one chance to exist would be forfeit. But spending my life for them would also be selfish because I wouldn't be giving them the opportunity to stop me if they could, I place their continued existence over my own. I do get it, it is the hierarchy of my personal values.
I suppose the strict interpretation justifies how muslims can martyr their children.
If so, I prefer to be inconsistent.
One could selfishly choose to die rather than live
as a slave.
Spin all you like. You're welcome.
Rather than reply to individual comments, let me simply say--it appears Objectivism and Ayn Rand, reason, and rational understanding of a common language are foreign concepts to many people on this site.
The actual and historical definitions of simple words such as sacrifice, altruism, and selfishness (self-interest) and the AR statements of the need to establish common definitions as essential priorities to conversation and discussion seems to have escaped their consciousness, or the site is being trolled by anti-Objectivist and/or typical double-speakers trying to confuse those new to Objectivism and advance some type of progressive/statist/collectivist nonsense.
I find Rand's own writings about love, especially in AS, confused.
Female allosaurs are nasty critters.
Me dino no longer seeks self worth from others.
expresses his clear intention to die to save Dagny,
if necessary.
sacrifice and submitting to hard trades. There are
other instances; dying rather than being willing to
live as a slave, or rather than betray one's principles.