I was in my teens when I started reading the Fountainhead. After 50 pages, I could see how she was heroizing Howard Roark and never finished it. One thing I could tell at that age was her worldview didn't seem to value mercy. So f- that!
Seems like the right time to roll out this old gem:
“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." - John Rogers
Because mercy is the opposite of justice.
Justice is giving to others what they deserve - reward for achievements, punishment for crimes.
Mercy is whthholding punishment for crimes and giving rewards for nothing.
Just to show how language affects understanding, the word "charity" comes from the Latin caritas meaning something from the heart.
The semitic word used where English uses charity means more like justice or "do the right thing". It also implies that the right thing may in fact involve giving to those who have too little ie: they "deserve" more because they were dealt a bad hand, not because of their achievements.
