History Main / EnlightenedSelfInterest

* UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} is this philosophy turned UpToEleven. It posits that ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld: creator, and moocher. The selfish Genius, the Innovator, the Entrepeneur create things of worth which incidentally benefit the selfish fool, imitator, and worker take to survive. The key revelation of UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} is that Creators do not have a moral responsibility to guarantee the wellbeing or survival of Moochers: the trope of EnlightenedSelfInterest is simply a cover for the plundering of value from those who have created or earned it, and its gifting to those who have done neither.

* UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} is this philosophy turned UpToEleven. It posits that geniuses, innovators and entrepreneurs who benefit mankind by their achievements and inventions do so out of rational self-interest, and shouldn't be deluded by altruistically refusing the rewards they deserved in exchange.

* At the outset of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, with much of Europe, especially Germany, in ruins from UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, President UsefulNotes/HarryTruman enacted the Marshall Plan, tasking the United States with rebuilding Western Europe. Truman's ulterior motive, of course, was that getting Europe back on its feet would stop the Soviet Union from advancing any further westward.
** [[UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt His predecessor]] did the same before and after the US entered UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, supplying the enemies of Nazi Germany of war materiel, food and other commodities in part because this way it saved civilian lives and in part because it helped keeping Hitler at bay.

** [[UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt His predecessor]] did the same before and after the US entered WorldWarII, supplying the enemies of Nazi Germany of war materiel, food and other commodities in part because this way it saved civilian lives and in part because it helped keeping Hitler at bay.

UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} is this philosophy turned UpToEleven; that geniuses, innovators and entrepreneurs who benefit mankind by their achievements and inventions do so by their Rational Self-Interest, and shouldn't be deluded by altruistically refusing the rewards they deserved in exchange. Compare TheGoldenRule, where you treat others the way you want to be treated. Contrast {{Realpolitik}}, where nations do underhanded things to serve their own self-interest. Contrast also SelflessWish and KeepTheReward, both of which involve a character doing something without seeking repayment. May overlap with PragmaticVillainy in cases where the villain helps the heroes because their interests coincide with his own, or with PragmaticHero when the hero makes a decision to act heroic because it advances his interests rather than because it's "right". See also SecretlySelfish, for when an otherwise altruistic character has an unexamined (or not) selfish ulterior motive.

UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} is this philosophy turned UpToEleven; that geniuses, innovators and entrepreneurs who benefit mankind by their inventions do so by their Rational Self-Interest, and shouldn't be deluded by altruistically refusing the rewards they deserved. Compare TheGoldenRule, where you treat others the way you want to be treated. Contrast {{Realpolitik}}, where nations do underhanded things to serve their own self-interest. Contrast also SelflessWish and KeepTheReward, both of which involve a character doing something without seeking repayment. May overlap with PragmaticVillainy in cases where the villain helps the heroes because their interests coincide with his own, or with PragmaticHero when the hero makes a decision to act heroic because it advances his interests rather than because it's "right". See also SecretlySelfish, for when an otherwise altruistic character has an unexamined (or not) selfish ulterior motive.

UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} is this philosophy turned UpToEleven; innovators who achieved so much for mankind throughout history did not do it out of selfless duty but rather of their own Rational Self-Interests. Compare TheGoldenRule, where you treat others the way you want to be treated. Contrast {{Realpolitik}}, where nations do underhanded things to serve their own self-interest. Contrast also SelflessWish and KeepTheReward, both of which involve a character doing something without seeking repayment. May overlap with PragmaticVillainy in cases where the villain helps the heroes because their interests coincide with his own, or with PragmaticHero when the hero makes a decision to act heroic because it advances his interests rather than because it's "right". See also SecretlySelfish, for when an otherwise altruistic character has an unexamined (or not) selfish ulterior motive.

Compare TheGoldenRule, where you treat others the way you want to be treated. Contrast {{Realpolitik}}, where nations do underhanded things to serve their own self-interest. Contrast also SelflessWish and KeepTheReward, both of which involve a character doing something without seeking repayment. May overlap with PragmaticVillainy in cases where the villain helps the heroes because their interests coincide with his own, or with PragmaticHero when the hero makes a decision to act heroic because it advances his interests rather than because it's "right". See also SecretlySelfish, for when an otherwise altruistic character has an unexamined (or not) selfish ulterior motive.

[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightened_self-interest Enlightened self-interest]] is an concept in ethics that doing things that benefit others also provides tangible benefits to the do-gooder.

* Basically every ''Franchise/LegendOfZelda'' game ever has Link doing sidequests for people and being rewarded with HeartContainers or other useful items. Taken even further in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', where doing these quests results in their gratitude crystallizing, and taking these physical emotions to a [[BalefulPolymorph demonic-looking man]] under the city dispels his curse (and he rewards you with larger wallets).

Compare TheGoldenRule, where you treat others the way you want to be treated. Contrast {{Realpolitik}}, where nations do underhanded things to serve their own self-interest. Contrast also SelflessWish and KeepTheReward, both of which involve a character doing something without seeking repayment. May overlap with PragmaticVillainy in cases where the villain helps the heroes because their interests coincide with his own, or with PragmaticHero when the hero makes a decision to act heroic because it advances his interests rather than because it's "right". See also SecretlySelfish.

Compare TheGoldenRule, where you treat others the way you want to be treated. Contrast {{Realpolitik}}, where nations do underhanded things to serve their own self-interest. Contrast also SelflessWish and KeepTheReward, both of which involve a character doing something without seeking repayment. May overlap with PragmaticVillainy in cases where the villain helps the heroes because their interests coincide with his own, or with PragmaticHero when the hero makes a decision to act heroic because it advances his interests rather than because it's "right".

* In ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', most of the Puella Magis who made a wish with Kyubey thinks of this when they make a wish: they wished for someone to prosper so that they will somehow benefit from it. The common source of despair in this series is that they often ''don't'' get those benefits in the end.

* The protagonists of ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' tend to lampshade those occasions when doing the politically expedient thing coincides with also doing the right thing. Specific examples include providing much needed food to the civil war torn Republic of Siddarmark, which also nets them a much need mainland ally, and not assassinating the Earl of Thirsk, which is decided both because he's a WorthyOpponent who deserves better and because removing him presents the risk of someone less willing to oppose the Inquisition replacing him.

** The Anderman Empire is known for {{realpolitik}} (they're modeled after Prussia, which [[TropeCodifier codified the concept]]), but they're just as known for [[HegemonicEmpire expanding their empire by helping out planets in need]].

* In ''Series/MadamSecretary'', title character Elizabeth [=McCord=] often appeals to EnlightenedSelfInterest as leverage to achieve policy goals that for her are altruistic.

* This is the gist of crowdfunding services such as Kickstarter: if the product doesn't end up being VaporWare, the pledges receive some goodies as well.

Compare TheGoldenRule, where you treat others the way you want to be treated. Contrast {{Realpolitik}}, where nations do underhanded things to serve their own self-interest. Contrast also SelflessWish and KeepTheReward, both of which involve a character doing something without seeking repayment. May overlap with PragmaticVillainy in cases where the villain helps the heroes because their interests coincide with his own.

* Discussed on the ''Series/{{Friends}}'' episode "The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS". Joey is a caller on a PBS drive and Phoebe accuses it of being selfish. Joey argues that there's not such thing as a selfless good deed, and Phoebe tries to prove him wrong. She decides to contributes to PBS despite her hatred of them, thinking it to be a selfless good deed. But her call gets Joey on the air, and Phoebe is happy that she helped out a friend... until she realizes it means her good deed wasn't as selfless as she thought.

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* BumperSticker: "Everyone does better when everyone does better."
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BreadAndCircuses is this trope applied to TheEmpire's management of its own populace, treating them well so they won't rebel.

Compare TheGoldenRule, where you treat others the way you want to be treated. Contrast {{Realpolitik}}, where nations do underhanded things to serve their own self-interest. Contrast also SelflessWish and KeepTheReward, both of which involve a character doing something without seeking repayment. May overlap with PragmaticVillainy in cases where the villain helps the heroes because their interests coincide with his own.

* ''Literature/HonorHarrington: The Honor of the Queen'': The Star Kingdom of Manticore gives a massive tech bump to Grayson and several other planets at great expense and financial risk (huge Crown loans that may or may not ever be repaid) because they need allies and forward operating bases for the upcoming war with Haven. Haven did essentially the same thing, although because of their bad reputation they frequently had to settle for worse options like [[TheFundamentalist Masada]] (they would've preferred Grayson but the Manties got there first and [[TheGoodKing Protector Benjamin]] was distrustful of their track record anyway), to whom they gave a ''City''-class destroyer and a ''Sultan''-class battlecruiser.