Examples Of Selflessness In The Fountainhead

In Ayn Rand’s Novel “The Fountainhead”, Toohey exhibits a type of selfish selflessness behavior due to the fact that his actions contradict his perplexing words. He tries to cover his true self with a blanket of sugar coated words, because he wants to seem so low, that people feel bad for him then in return he manipulates them into doing things for him without them knowing. This is also why he thinks of himself as selfless, because the other party doesn’t know what is truly happening.

Even though Toohey is selfless because he doesn't gain power directly, he is selfish because he uses people for the sake of what he can do to them. It has been said that Toohey does not in fact care about man, but mankind itself. “I’m the most selfless man you’ve ever known.” This, Toohey truly does believe. He wholeheartedly thinks that he is selfless and doesn’t ‘use’ people for his own fulfillment. However, he does use people, and he does so by going through their human nature, their flaws, and anything else he can get his hands onto, though Toohey

As one could probably tell by reading Ayn Rand's “The fountainhead”, Ellsworth Toohey is the exact opposite. By him telling Keating straight on that he thinks he is the most selfless man, makes him the most selfish man. No true kindhearted, caring, selfless man would overbear another with the acknowledgment of one's dignity. Instead, he would move on, or simply just not bring it up in the first place. He is trying so hard to be someone he is not, and sometimes, people can see through the curtain. Although I agree with him that he's not selfish by caring about himself, but he is selfish for not caring about how others are