Literary uses of “altruist” reveal a multifaceted term often steeped in both idealism and irony. Authors paint the altruist as one committed to selfless action—sometimes in a religious or politically charged milieu [1, 2, 3]—yet they also contrast this noble image with the necessity of self-interest, suggesting that genuine altruism may paradoxically spring from an underlying egoism [4, 5, 6]. In some narratives the label ennobles a character’s pure, almost sanctified intentions [7, 2], while in others it is wielded with skepticism or even derision to underscore hypocrisy or doubt in one’s capacity for unselfishness [8, 9]. Such varied portrayals underscore the paradoxical charm and complexity of the term in literary discourse [10, 11].