Let's be blunt: I can't stand Ayn Rand. She is as idealistic and naive as the most ferment Communist and these days is a lot more dangerous.

I could spew almost as much bile about her as she does about her despised "collectivists" (anyone who has the temerity to disagree with her, mostly), but let me just focus on one of her main peeves: altruism.

Altruism to her is a sign of evil. It is foul, disgusting. To use her words, "The irreducible primary of altruism, the basic absolute, is self-sacrifice—which means; self-immolation, self-abnegation, self-denial, self-destruction—which means: the self as a standard of evil, the selfless as a standard of the good."

She also says that altruism should not be confused with "good will or respect for the rights of others."

She defines altruism as "self-sacrifice." Where does she get this nonsense? Altruism means, very simply, generosity toward others. There is a range of altruism, from kindness to largesse. It is not a denial of self, it is an expression of self. Rand is acting as if altruism is forced down one's gullet by a faceless totalitarian state, by Big Brother (never mind that the term was invented by George Orwell, a socialist and rather more talented writer).

But altruism is not and cannot be forced upon anyone. It is an emotional response and thus entirely personal, entirely individual.

Instead of being "self-sacrifice," altruism is an expression of personal security, and, just as important, it is an action to expand that feeling. It is evidence of self-confidence, not self-sacrifice.

Animals live in jungles; humans live in societies. Societies are the vehicles we have created for our collective (that hated word!) security so we can relieve ourselves of the burden of constantly fighting alone against all of nature just to last another day. To survive in the jungle, we kill, lie steal, you name it. We have to. But this is inefficient because we grow tired, we have to sleep, we age. In short, we become vulnerable in too many ways. Society is a device we have deliberately created to improve pour security and the efficiency of our security in all ways. Laws, police forces, fire departments, democratic governments. All, in the end, creations for our personal, as well as collective, security.

Modern man feels, and is, more secure that his ancestors precisely because of these security efficiencies. Moreover, we try to expand this sense of security constantly, which improves the security of others, but by so doing, we improve our own security.

When a person is altruistic, he or she is attempting to expand a sense of security to others who may be less secure through an act of benevolence. Altruism reinforces all of what humanity has created for itself. Altruism, thus, is the essence of being human.

Altruism is thus self-interest personified. A bit of an irony, don't you think?