overwhelming self interest born of 3.5 billion years of human phylogeny.


That is one terrific turn of phrase, pal.

The greatest thing I have ever done without question is to help Barky find a place in the world. I wouldn't dream of presuming to say that I brought her to it -- she has always been her own person in the fullest sense. And from time to time I have helped other people as well. Which is the least I could do considering the fact that I have also brought my share of pain in the world.

Personally, I am all for self-iinterest, but I think there is a world of difference between selfish interest and enlilghtened self-interest. What I see in the answers here are not self-congratulatory, or egoistic, but they are simply rationally self-interested. That's a very different thing, IMHO.

A