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A good deed is not always a selfish deed. In the example where I push a man out of traffic so he doesn't get hit, my selfish desires would tell me NOT to go into traffic. Rather, if I were completely selfish, I would keep myself out of trouble and let the poor man fend for himself. The same would apply if I jump in a lake to save a man from drowning. My selfish impulses tell me not to put myself in harm's way and to stay out of the water. But, the good thing to do is to help the drowning man. One more - a coworker is wrongly accused of forgetting to do something that was my responsibility. The selfish thing to do would be to keep quiet and thank my lucky stars that he was blamed and not me. But the good and decent thing to do would be to admit that it was my fault, not his. Again, this is a good deed that does not serve my interests in the least - it is merely good to do.
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"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request." - Capt. Barbossa
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