Every action that people would logically take in their rational self-interest to protect themselves from deflation would just make the deflation worse.
Behavioral economics calls into question the central assumption of classical economics: that individuals are rational actors who seek to maximize their self-interest.
Two centuries before Rand arrived on the scene, Adam Smith had already written The Wealth of Nations, a powerful treatise demonstrating why self-interest offers a more secure foundation for a rational society than a selfless dedication to the common good.