Well, I guess you know I pretty strongly disagree with you on this matter. While you make the point, and it is true, that for acts for which we receive no earthly benefit besides feeling good about what we did, we still get the endorphin rush, I reckon that qualifies as altruism. It's as selfish as much as making a penny on a trade of $1000 is selfishness.

You define self interest so broadly that there is no possibility of any act conceivably being possible to view as altruism.

The problem is, you are so dead set on proving there is no altruism that you see selfish causes that are far more egregious than actually exist. Many of the amplifications on your theory that only selfishness exists I know to be incorrect, because I exemplify their opposite.

"We will help others only when we have our asses covered."

I recently almost got an eviction notice because I gave someone a place to stay for 10 days or so, without any monetary compensation, or compensation of any kind, even of housework. I did it because they were on a tough road.

They did little but eat and sleep for 10 days, and I glad I did it (got my endorphin rush), because they clearly needed some good food and rest. I got my landlady and neighbors calmed down, and it all seems like it'll work out for the best.

That's all the reward I need, and rather than only doing so when I had my ass covered, I put my neck on the chopping block to do it.

So, what you say may be usually true, but it isn't absolutely true.