| | Greg, I think it's most likely great that you ~wanted~ to do that, that you gained a great deal of satisfaction from it, and that you shared it above. I suppose when it comes down to ~wanting~ to do charity, the way you've 'automatized' values into actual desire is the main question. I believe, and you may very well disagree, that when we attain values, we tend to have this overflowing quality that loves to see their embodiments in more and more ways, and something like generosity naturally flows out of us, not through premeditation, but in a delightful instance, and a great deal of spiritual satisfaction can come from doing what you did. There is also the sense in which you may directly value helping others in need, and of course the above instance would just be a desire perhaps coming from a more peripheral, more conscious level. The question would follow as to whether you judge that your happiness can be attained with that value and its relationship to your other values, and essentially your moral judgement can follow that way. This would be in accordance with my thinking, but I assume others would think otherwise.
I think that this is a great topic that can bring out a lot of discussion from what Rand indirectly meant, or what would be consistent with Rand, or what others merely think. Does any sort of benevolence have to be premeditated, and not in accordance with the instant desire that something spontaneous like generosity can have?? Or can we trust ourselves, after years of virtuous practice, that our spirits are doing the right thing (this is not to say that we are not consciously deliberating at all, of course)? Maybe a better question would be: Do benevolent actions have to be mere means to consciously evaluated selfish ends, or can they follow indirectly from other selfish ends? I'd be really interested to step back and listen to what others think of what you have done, and of these questions. :)
-Dominic
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