I am so pleased by the response here! I think that it is really important in reading Atlas Shrugged that you don't get caught up in the "selfishness" aspect of it. It is really more about honor and each individuals right to their minds and what they create with those minds. I don't think she was saying that people who give to the poor are bad but it depends on their motives. On the other hand I don't think that she was saying that all industrialists are heros although she seems to be leaning more in that direction. Again, I think it comes back to motive. The basic premise that I took from this read was that we all have to be who we are and accept who we are and not worry so much about what other people think about us. We should not expect hand outs when we are capable of working ourselves. We should not be so judgemental of others.

What do you think?

Susan