Hi Bro WarBird,
it has been awhile since I have posted anything although I have been an ardent reader of your posts.
It is unfortunate however it seems that no other bros in this forum could contribute text book cases for us to discuss and analyse, perhaps even learn more from.
I would like to ask, if you have read any of Ayn Rand's works, it seems to me that there is a huge similarity in the main characters within Ayn Rand's literature to what is discussed here.
Dubbed the "randian hero", the Randian hero is the creative individualist. Though Rand rejected the notion that individuals have duty towards one another, her heroes are marked by an essential generosity, for the reason that they act out of compassion and empathy rather than guilt. Rand's fiction displays a self-consciously Promethean sense of life, declaring through her characters the heroic value of self-assertion in the face of the established order.
Generally a Randian hero is characterized by
radical individualism, moral resolution, intelligence/aptitude,
self-control, emotional discipline, and (frequently, but not always) attractive physical characteristics in the eyes of other Randian heroes. Rand's heroes are tall, strong and upright; the females share slender figures, defiant stances and the impression of internal calmness, while the males are physically hard and supple, often with gray eyes.
Interestingly, as you have pointed out, she has also insinuated that all relationships are based of an exchange of "virtue or value", in short, a business transaction sealed with an unknown currency to all except the parties involved.
Do watch her other interviews as well they are interesting to hear certain views that may contrast with your own.
It may seem inappropriate to discuss a little bit of philosophy here. But I believe this is very related to what you have discussed here, unfortunately the consensus of many men today do not even vaguely, grasp this concept.
I would like to hear your thoughts, and other readers do chime in as well.