To Nathalie Rivard, a fan [Letter 578]

Item Reference Code: 023_11A_004_001

Date(s) of creation

November 8, 1973

Recipient

Nathalie Rivard

Transcript

November 8, 1973

Miss Nathalie Rivard
3777 Cote des Neiges
Apartment 426
Montreal, P.Q.Ā  H3H 1V8
Canada

Dear Nathalie:

Thank you for your letter of October 22.

Your question is a very broad one, and I am not certain which aspect of it you had in mind. You ask ā€œwhy mental children always have so much money spent on them when the bright ones need it much more.ā€ If you want to know the motive of the people who practice such a policy, then the brief answer is: the morality of altruism, which makes them resent the able and intelligent people (or children).

As to a detailed discussion of altruism, I have covered its different aspects in all my works. It cannot be answered more briefly than that.

With my best wishes,

Sincerely,

 

Ayn Rand

AR/as