The Continuum

As a moderate it should by now be obvious to the alert, interested reader that when I pronounce something that seems absolutist, one-sided or extreme, instead it is an intentional, consistent, principled statement and overemphasis of the major right stance to take on any set of ethical contraries. But unspoken but implied is that the deemphasized, underemphsized or unmentioned contrary still has some truth, legitimacy and goodness in it, preventing it from being utterly rejected and ignored

For example, I state that egoism or enlightened self-interest is the ethically superior motive, and that group-living, selfless pursuit of altruistic ends, and worrying about sharing, fairness, equality and communal ownership all lead to embracing the dark side.

Nonetheless, altruism, as our minority moral motive is still important, and the both/and way that I combine egoism/altruism (note the majority emphasis first and the minority emphasis second) to be a complete, helpful, loving moral person.

To love the self first and foremost is the respect the self and treat the self well. To treat the self well is to increase one's positive self-esteem to the level that one is inclined to treat others with kindness, dignity, respect and square-dealing. To treat others well is to reduce pain and strife in the world.

To be a selfless altruist first and foremost is to hurt the self, and to hurt others, and that is disastrous to the commonweal, and grows evil and darkness in the world.