---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Some people] think that sex is a…"
description: "\"“[Some people] think that sex is a physical capacity which functions independently of one's mind, choice, or code of values. They think that your body ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/ayn-rand-59_love-is-blind_some-people-think-that-sex-is-a-physical_1043720.jpg"
---

#  \[Some people\] think that sex is a physical capacity which…

![“&#91;Some people&#93; think that sex is a physical capacity which functions independently of one's mind, choice, or code of values. They think that your body creates a desire and makes a choice for you–just about in some such way as if iron ore transformed itself into railroad rails of its own volition…” quote by Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/ayn-rand-59_love-is-blind_some-people-think-that-sex-is-a-physical_1043720.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/ayn-rand-59_love-is-blind_some-people-think-that-sex-is-a-physical_1043720.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/901/ayn-rand-59_love-is-blind_some-people-think-that-sex-is-a-physical_1043720.jpg)

> ““\[Some people\] think that sex is a physical capacity which functions independently of one's mind, choice, or code of values. They think that your body creates a desire and makes a choice for you–just about in some such way as if iron ore transformed itself into railroad rails of its own volition. Love is blind, they say; sex is impervious to reason and mocks the power of all philosophers. But, in fact, a man's sexual choice is the result and the sum of his fundamental convictions. Tell me what a man finds sexually attractive and I will tell you his entire philosophy of life. Show me the woman he sleeps with and I will tell you his valuation of himself. No matter what corruption he's taught about the virtue of selflessness, sex is the most profoundly selfish of all acts, an act which he cannot perform for any motive but his own enjoyment -- just try to think of performing it as an act of selfless charity! – an act which is not possible in self-abasement, only in self-exaltation, only in the confidence of being desired and being worthy of desire. It is an act that forces him to stand naked in spirit, as well as in body, and to accept his real ego as his standard of value. He will always be attracted to the woman who reflects his deepest vision of himself, the woman whose surrender permits him to experience–or to fake– a sense of self-esteem. The man who is proudly certain of his own value will want the highest type of woman he can find, the woman he admires, the strongest, the hardest to conquer, because only the possession of a heroine will give him the sense of an achievement, not the possession of a brainless slut. He does not seek to gain his value, but to express it. There is no conflict between the standards of his mind and the desires of his body . . .””

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Sexual attraction reflects a man’s core values and self‑esteem; it is a selfish act revealing his philosophy.

**In simple terms:** Sex shows personal values.

Key Takeaway

Recognize desire as self‑reflection.

Themes

philosophy psychology sex

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

- relationship counseling
- personal introspection
- ethical debate

Key Concepts

ego values self‑esteem

Questions to Reflect On

- What does attraction reveal about self?
- Can desire be altruistic?

A Different Perspective

Critics may view desire as complex than purely selfish.

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