I've never heard of Hannah Arendt.

It would seem to me that the sovereign individual who lives by the codex, "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.", is living the natural human state of existence. The problem is that a few desire power over their fellow humans, and very many seem to need guidance from exactly those who desire power over them. Those bodies will ultimately attract those who desire power.

It seems to me that self-interest may be the single most important human trait. It seems to drive our decision making. It may even be the reason we live under the impression that we have a free will. Ego seems to be the self in self-interest.