So that makes them selfless?
It isnt like they feel good about themselves for doing that, not a mental reward at all.
A soldier dying for his country for example in your view is selfless while in reality he has put his self esteem on the country and his belief of "self sacrificing" is so big it makes him feel euphoric when he does the "right thing".
Never had a man done something without some sort of reward, tangible or mental