Ayn Rand is a well known author and philosopher, she believes strongly in the importance of self reliance and independence to become a happy person. She states, “I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”. She is explaining that we must only live for ourselves and not rely on others for happiness and success. Rand believes that we are selfish beings - we value relationships only if we have a beneficial reason to. We are always looking to others for something; there is no such thing as selflessness love. If we value someone, and make a “sacrifice”, we are happy, but it is not a sacrifice - we only “sacrifice” for those whom we do not value, and we do not obtain happiness from that. In contrast to Ayn Rand’s beliefs, Tom Shadyac theorizes that we value all human relationships and connections. We can obtain happiness by sacrificing for any human being, not just the ones we value and care for.


In a perfect world, everyone is treated based on their personalities - not their looks. Media pressure does not exist, and looks do not matter. Where the most intriguing part of a person is their personality - what makes them who they are, what experiences they’ve had, and how they connect and interact with others. Movie director and philosopher, Tom Shadyac, believes (through thorough scientific studies) that everyone is connected with some kind of personal “aura” around them. By the moods and emotions we feel, other living beings around us can also sense how we feel. He states “All the evidence that’s out, all the research, it’s just getting started in what you’d call alternative research: mind connection, intuition. But the work they’ve already done blew me away; the hard science, not just quantum physics, but what’s been done research-wise in terms of physiology, our evolutionary traits–you can see the evolution through 175,000 years of our history, even from the smile to the laugh. All these things are pointing in the same direction–there’s a ton of evidence to say love isn’t just a trope, it’s not just an idea. It has force and weight and merit in the way your body works.” Tom is explaining that we can change the world through expressing love and compassion for one another. If you are loving and compassionate to one - that one becomes loving and compassionate, passing the emotions to a third person and so on. We all become connected through these warm emotions, creating a loving and inviting environment for the world. Tom Shadyac argues that we can never fully disconnect and be alone from the world because we are all connected.


According to monk and philosopher, Thomas Merton, we may be alone, but we will never be disconnected from the aura of life. Thomas Merton believes strongly in the fact that we are fearful of being left alone. We may be physically alone, but we are always all connected with each other. He believes that happiness is a combination of the sounds and rhythms and harmonies, that we are one moving being, balanced with life. He says “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.”. We find true happiness by striving for harmonious communication and order between each other. Like Thomas Merton, another “philosopher” Tom Douglas believes that humans should be loving and compassionate.


Tom Douglas has proven this philosophy, and taken it upon himself to make a difference in other lives. He has been the owner of 14 restaurants around Seattle for years. He decided to raise the pay of his cooks and dishwashers from $12 to $15. By doing this, he used approximately one third of his profits to increase the pay as well as quality of life and living for his workers. He believes in giving back to the community for the blessings he's received by doing the same for the people who have worked and been committed to him. He states “The goal for me is to create a merit system that is more reflective of the value of what being a chef is. I’m just trying to, in my own way, justify a better living for them.”. He is trying to stand up against government laws. Minimum wage is hard on workers and Tom believes it’s his time to stand up and make a change. He’s now paying his own dues for the wealth he’s been given, and now he’s giving his workers the opportunity to do the same.


I believe that it’s our duty as members of this world to do all that we can to make our world safe, happy, and fair. If you are happy, and your neighbor is not, you should not be truly happy. True happiness for me is when everyone is taken care of and satisfied with life and themselves. I want my family to be healthy, and I want to reach out to the families whose members are not. I believe in the importance of healthy solitude, I believe that everyone needs time for self reflection and meditation. Strive to be kind and generous, and share your wealth with those around you. We should all value human connections and relationships, and take seriously the importance of contributions in society.