You just gave a very wordy dissembling on my very simple equation.Y'know what?...I'm gonna shock you...I'm going to give you the point.
Altruism = self-mmolation.
You win.
Altruism is basically valuing the well being of others in a given scenario over your own. Like taking a hit in the wallet to give a gift in attempt to make someone else happy.....or the ultimate example, dying for someone. All of the levels in-between. And you provided the proof that it exists, inadvertantly, by stating that one *can* value someone else more than themselves. They can do so monetarily, they can do so physically.
Self-gain is not non-existent either, which is obvious. "I wanted to make you happy, 'cuz it makes me happy to make you happy."
I'm sure that they're just ill, and not actually altruistic.
Altruism = self-immolation.
The natural extreme of this invariably ends up harkening to the stale old scenario of the soldier throwing himself on the live grenade, so his platoon buddies or some children won't be harmed...All I get out of that is that professed "altruists" are borderline masochists, who hold immolation and, ultimately, death amongst their highest values.
You'll be so kind as excuse me from wanting to associate myself with such pessimistic, dark and ghoulish people, thankyouverymuch.
It's called heroism. Not pessimism.