What's in it for Me?

Here is something that I have always found to be a bit of a puzzle: On the one hand, people are viewed largely as creatures that are motivated by self interest. "What's in it for me?" seems to be a mantra that drives pretty much all of us. How will taking a certain action bring the most benefit or reward to me? Often times, I confess that those questions pop into my head whenever a request of me is made or I am called upon to make a choice. I challenge any one to claim they do not at least consider similar questions under similar circumstances. As I "see" no hands being raised, I will assume this is a commonality we all share.

Despite that, acting within one's self interest is depicted as being a negative characteristic. Never mind that that is the case for everyone. When one confirms they are taking an action that serves their interest, then the general public views them unfavorably. Why is this the case?  I raise this question with the full understanding that altruistic behavior is viewed by the general public as a positive quality to have. At the same time, it is not necessarily behavior practiced by others as part of an innate characteristic. Further, acting within one's self-interest is what all of us do as part of our routine.

I raise all this as a way of identifying an interesting communication challenge faced by professional communicators charged with promoting a public figure of some kind. The communicator seeks to present their client in a positive light, yet the client is no doubt taking action or making decisions based on elevating their own status on some level. Why not promote that reality? Why not send out a press release saying a particular celebrity donated thousands of dollars to fight cancer, for instance, simply because it made them feel good? Instead, the release avoids such a hard truth and instead suggests the donation was driven only by a desire to help others.