In 1949 , a 17 - year - old girl named Connie Papurt want to bribe a dress but take $ 25 . So she did what a lot of young women in her situation would do : asked a relation if she could borrow the money . The relative ? Her aunt , author and economical philosopher Ayn Rand .
Papurt is the girl of Agnes Papurt , sister of Rand ’s husband , Frank O’Connor . The Toastspotted this letter from Rand to her niece in the bookLetters of Ayn Rand , and has shared it for our reading pleasure . course , Rand could n’t resist answer a request for a loan with a dissertation on fiscal duty . While there is some sensible poppycock in here ( and hey , at least she admits that Connie does n’t have to agree with her personal school of thought ) , most communications with teenage girlfriend do n’t turn into a miniature version of Atlas Shrugged , couple with threats of see them as embezzlers . I think , though , untested Connie have it away — or at least should have known — what she was in for when she made the request :
May 22 , 1949
costly Connie :
You are very young , so I do n’t know whether you realize the seriousness of your activity in piece of writing to me for money . Since I do n’t know you at all , I am going to put you to a mental test .
If you really desire to borrow $ 25 from me , I will take a chance on finding out what kind of someone you are . You require to adopt the money until your graduation exercise . I will do better than that . I will make it prosperous for you to repay the debt , but on condition that you understand and admit it as a strict and serious business enterprise hatful . Before you borrow it , I want you to think it over very carefully .
Here are my conditions : If I send you the $ 25 , I will give you a class to give back it . I will give you six months after your commencement exercise to get settled in a job . Then , you will go repaying the money in installments : you will send me $ 5 on January 15 , 1950 , and $ 4 on the 15th of every calendar month after that ; the last instalment will be on June 15 , 1950 — and that will repay the totality .
Are you unforced to do it ?
Here is what I want you to think over : Once you get a problem , there will always be many thing which you will need and on which you might prefer to drop your money , rather than repay a debt . I want you to adjudicate now , in advance , as an honest and responsible for person , whether you will be willing and able to refund this money , no matter what go on , as an obligation above and ahead of any other disbursal .
I want you to understand right now that I will not accept any self-justification — except a serious illness . If you become inauspicious , then I will give you an extension of meter — but for no other reason . If , when the debt becomes due , you tell me that you ca n’t pay me because you needed a unexampled pair of shoes or a new pelage or you gave the money to somebody in the family who needed it more than I do — then I will consider you as an embezzler . No , I wo n’t send a policeman after you , but I will write you off as a shitty person and I will never speak or write to you again .
Now I will differentiate you why I am so serious and spartan about this . I despise irresponsible masses . I do n’t want to look at with them or avail them in any way . An irresponsible person is a mortal who makes vague promises , then breaks his intelligence , blame it on circumstances and expect other people to forgive it . A responsible person does not make a promise without suppose of all the aftermath and being prepared to cope with them .
You desire $ 25 for the purpose of buying a dress ; you tell me that you will get a job and be able-bodied to repay me . That ’s fine and I am willing to help you , if that is exactly what you mean . But if what you mean is : give me the money now and I will return it if I do n’t change my mind about it — then the deal is off . If I keep my part of the deal , you must keep yours , just exactly as agreed , no matter what happens .
I was very bad disappointed in Mimi and Marna [ Docky ] . When I first met Mimi , she ask me to give her money for the function of take away an art course . I gave her the money , but she did not take the art course . I sustain Marna for a year — for the determination of helping her to finish gamey school . She did not finish high schoolhouse . I will take a chance on you , because I do n’t want to pick you for the activity of your sister . But I want you to show me that you are a better variety of mortal .
I will tell apart you the reasons for the conditions I make : I think that the mortal who need and expects other people to give him money , instead of take in it , is the most rotten person on land . I would like to learn you , if I can , very early in life , the melodic theme of a ego - respecting , self - endure , responsible , capitalist person . If you borrow money and repay it , it is the in force breeding in responsibility that you could ever have .
I want you to drop — if you have it in your mind — the melodic theme that you are entitled to take money or support from me , just because we happen to be relatives . I want you to understand very clearly , mightily now , when you are young , that no honest mortal believes that he is obliged to brook his congeneric . I do n’t think it and will not do it . I can not care you or want to facilitate you without reason , just because you ask the help . That is not a serious reason . But you could clear my liking , my sake and my help by showing me that you are a good person .
Now imagine this over and allow me know whether you desire to borrow the money on my circumstance and whether you give me your word of honour to observe the weather . If you do , I will send you the money . If you do n’t see me , if you think that I am a hard , cruel , plentiful old adult female and you do n’t sanction of my ideas — well , you do n’t have to approve , but then you must not ask me for help .
I will wait to hear from you , and if I rule out that you are my kind of individual , then I hope that this will be the outset of a real friendly relationship between us , which would please me very much .
Your aunty ,
So how did Connie respond?Head over to The Toast to see the next letter that Rand drop a line to Connie Papurt . It seems she was in reality quite well disposed for the harangue that her aunt bedevil at her . But you ’d have to be if you ’re going to require Ayn Rand for money .
An Actual Letter Ayn Rand compose To An Actual Teenage Girl[The Toast viaDangerous Minds ]
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