forsake pursuing immediate gratification by supporting and not interfering with others' pursuit of self-interest. An individual may have to sacrifice his immediate self-interest for the purpose of a positive relationship to a group of individuals to which he relates. For example, a merchant likely will maximize profit over the long term if they choose to be generous to their customers in a manner beyond the requirement of policy, say, in accepting returns and refunding the purchase price when not required to by explicit policy. By doing so, they may lose short-term gain but likely will eventually profit from increased business volume as they gain a reputation for being reasonable, honest, and generous. Altruism Enlightened self-interest is also different from altruism, which calls for people to act in the interest of others often at the expense of their own interests and with no expectation of material benefit for themselves in the future. Some advocates of enlightened self-interest might argue that pure altruism promotes inefficiency as well . Rational selfishness Rational selfishness is a term generally related to Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy, which refers to a person's efforts to look after their own well-being, to cultivate the self, and achieve goals for the good of the self. The focus in rational selfishness might be considered to be more self-directed (where the benefit to the group or society is a possible by-product) than the focus of enlightened self-interest which is more group-directed (and the benefit to oneself might be more of the by-product). Some authors say that this concept elevates egoism to the level of a moral principle. See also Adam Smith and the "invisible hand" Alexis de Tocqueville Aristotle and virtue ethics Behavioral economics Ethical egoism Friedrich Nietzsche and the "will to power" Helping behavior Give and take Identity politics Psychological egoism Reciprocal altruism The Selfish Gene (book) Thomas Hobbes Notes and references External links J.B. Steenbergen: Enlightened self-interest in Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America J. Ikerd: Economics of Enlightened Self-Interest M.R. Griffiths & J.R. Lucas: Ethical Economics particularly Chapter 13 Enlightened self-interest@Everything2.com Enlightened self-interest business model Daniel Yankelovich: The Thought Leader Interview David Kelley: Generosity and Self-Interest Public Relations Ethics: Enlightened Self-interest Model The age of the responsible corporation Enlightened self-interest from a perspective of self-help (Smart Recovery) Social ethics Utilitarianism Social philosophy