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Hi, I've been lurking on these forums for a past few weeks while reading "The Virtue of Selfishness" slowly and trying to process the information presented and how it fits with my current views. I am new to Objectivism, "The Virtue of Selfishness" being my first text on the subject. The only other book I've read by Ayn Rand is "Anthem" (several years ago as required high school reading). First the passages from "The 'Conflicts' of Mens Interests" that made me think of this question: What I'm comfused about is: how does one go about identifying desires through a process of reason? how does one find the "rational" reason to continue doing an activity that makes you feel happy/fulfilled if you cannot use emotion as a valid basis for your interests/values? If you cannot put a reason for doing an activity into words, does this make continueing the activity "irrational?" 1) If desires are NOT tools of cognition, how can goals be dependent on desires? What is the point of identifying desires with reason if desires depend on a man's values but at the same time are NOT a valid standard of value? I'm confused about how one finds whatever it is they desire through reason. What type of thought process is this? 2/3) To use myself as am example: I like to draw and I draw a lot. Drawing has been the one constant in my 20 years of life. I want to get a BFA and do illustration professionally and full time (this August marks 1 year as a part-time freelance illustrator for me so I do have a glimpse of what I am trying to get into). But I am struggling to put to words WHY I want to be a professional illustrator. Many reasons I come up with start with "Because I want to..." and I feel like that thought process is extremely flawed if I'm trying to figure out if it's rational for me to pursue this goal. I've tried putting my reasons in a "Because I value..." form but how do I know when a reason is rational? It's difficult because my personal bias and enjoyment of the activity makes me WANT to believe it is a good and rational goal, but I am afraid that I can prove this goal irrational through reasoning since I can't seem to put a "good enough" validation/justification into words. Can changing my reasons for my actions allow me to rationally pursue this activity or would doing that not-rational in some way? I simply want to live being honest with myself, with others, and with no more self-sacrifice (something I thought was good and normal, and regularly practiced it, before reading "The Virtue of Selfishness.") I look forward to your perspectives.