The Virtue Ego and Altruism

Ethics

Suppose someone spends their weekend volunteering at a shelter. On the surface, it is a selfless act. But what if the primary driver is actually the feeling they get afterward? If they are doing it mostly to maintain the internal image of being a good person, it feels like the act is more about self-image than the other person. It makes you wonder if altruism is just a sophisticated form of self-interest. On the other hand, maybe it is too cynical to separate the two. If human nature is wired to feel a reward for pro-social behavior, that reward might just be the mechanism that makes kindness possible. In that case, the feeling of virtue isn't a corruption of the act, but the fuel for it. Even if the ego is involved, the outcome is still a positive one for the world. I am curious where the line is. Does the motive actually change the moral value of the action, or does it only matter what happens in the real world? If we can't ever truly escape our own egos, does that mean pure altruism is impossible?