Altruism Is Driven By Resentment
We always argue about the economics of collectivism, but we ignore its psychological root: second handedness.
Altruism stems from a psychology of dependence. It’s an intellectual abdication. The core anxiety isn’t “how will I feed myself alone?” It is: “who am I if someone else isn't dictating my purpose?”
You see this clearly in how people approach the "meaning of life." Most aren't looking for a canvas to paint on; they want a moral checklist.
An independent egoist doesn't need external rules to justify their existence. They don't look for a checklist; they form a personal aesthetic ideal. They use their own mind to project a vision of what is possible, and that vision serves as their motivational guide to create and achieve.
This is why dependence inherently breeds resentment toward the independent (what Ayn Rand called the "hatred of the good for being the good"). The mere existence of a self directed individual exposes the collectivist's life as a massive evasion. They must shackle the creator to maintain the illusion that the herd is necessary.
As Nathaniel Branden pointed out, the genuine egoist is entirely free of this resentment. Their primary drive isn't to beat others or compare themselves to the herd, it is simply to achieve.
One mindset lives to create value. The other lives to destroy it out of spite for their own dependency.
Demanding a social checklist to justify your existence isn’t strength. It is the ultimate weakness: a mind terrified of its own independence, using slave morality as a mask.