To say 'I love you' one must first be able to say the 'I.'
Ayn RandRead
You have no choice about your capacity to feel that something is good for you or evil, but what you will consider good or evil, what will give you joy or pain, what you will love or hate, desire or fear, depends on your standard of value.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Your feelings of good and evil are innate, but your values dictate how you perceive them.
Ayn Rand's quote emphasizes that while humans inherently experience emotions and reactions to good and evil, the interpretation of those feelings is contingent upon individual standards of value. Our personal beliefs and values shape our reactions and preferences, creating a subjective experience of joy, pain, love, hate, desire, and fear.
Themes
ValuesGoodEvilPerceptionJoyPainFeelings
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal values and ethics.
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It is my eyes which see, and the sight of my eyes grants beauty to the earth. It is my ears which hear, and the hearing of my ears gives its song to the world. It is my mind which thinks, and the judgement of my mind is the only searchlight that can find the truth. It is my will which chooses, and the choice of my will is the only edict I must respect.
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What is the basic, the essential, the crucial principle that differentiates freedom from slavery? It is the principle of voluntary action versus physical coercion or compulsion.
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One method of destroying a concept is by diluting its meaning. Observe that by ascribing rights to the unborn, i.e., the nonliving, the anti-abortionists obliterate the rights of the living.
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I think that when in doubt about the truth of an issue, it's safer and in better taste to select the least numerous of the adversaries.
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