Is Altruism Selfish?

So I’m selfish. So big deal. I could still be a nice bloke couldn’t I? Or does being selfish make me an undesirable, a pariah in the social club of humanity? In fact, isn’t being selfish just another form of self actualisation? Isnt it true to the credo that goodness, like charity, begins at home? That if we don’t look after ourselves, we can’t look after others?
Is there really an animal called the altruist, or is that just a word created by us to put a positive spin on selfishness? Are the altruistic merely selfish for the common good? When do I stop being selfish and start being altruistic? Are the words antonyms as they are made out to be, or are they just at either end of the social ladder of evolution? Are altruists selfless? Don’t the selfless get a selfish satisfaction in being who they are? Is selfless service an oxymoron?
After all, why do we do a good deed? Isn't our ROI that warm glow that comes of doing good? If we don’t feel good about doing good unto others, would we still do it? Isn’t that again a selfish motive, albeit subliminal? Perhaps its time to redefine selfishness. After all, a Brian Lara can't score runs for the team if he doesn't score them for himself. Perhaps, like cholesterol, we need to classify it into 'good ' and 'bad’ selfishness with the type being decided by the motives behind the thought and the effects of the action. Altruism v/s selfishness reminds me of the debate on subjectivity v/s objectivity. I believe that there is no ‘pure objectivity’ and that the moment I have an opinion, either by thought or word, I am , in effect, passing judgement, and whilst it may be correct, it is 'subjective' because its MY opinion. Similarly, there is no ‘pure altruism’, only varying degrees of selfishness, and the sooner we reinstate this much maligned emotion, the better it will be. And the sooner we knock ‘selflessness’ off its pedestal the better it will be too, for one way of looking at selflessness is as dereliction of duty towards yourself. I know the pundits and ecclesiasts will object strenuously, but doesn’t ‘self realisation’ (which all religions claim is the ultimate form of being) have to do with a celebration of the self? Doesn’t the discovery of the ‘self’ begin with an exploration of the self and the gratification thereof? And doesn’t it all come back to selfishness?

Ok Ok…just one of those days…but please do think about what I’ve said before throwing those rotten eggs at me. Peace be unto u. And may you achieve a state of exalted selfishness)