Here is an example of why it is good to help people altruistically.

Last week I received a random phone call. A Mr. David White from an unknown pharmaceutical company on the east coast wanted some information about the Java program I wrote last summer. Specifically, he wanted to know the reference for the formula I used for triclinic unit cells. I told him that the equations I used were not specific to crystal system and that they were general matrix equations. However, the book I used was a crystallography text, which is not readily accessible to a run-of-the-mill pharmaceutical technician. So he asked if I could fax him the pages out of the book with the relevant equations. I agreed. I asked him a few more questions about how my program was working out for him and whether or not he had any problems with it. Early the next day, I got the materials together and faxed him the information. It felt nice to help him out, and to know that something I had worked on for over a month was actually beneficial to people.

Then this week I received a strange package in the mail, from an address I didn't recognize. Inside the package were a big plastic mug, a pen, a squishy mini football, and a leatherman, all with the strange moniker "aaiPharma". The accompanying letter was from David White, thanking me for my help and offering me these "tokens of appreciation". How nice. It seems my generosity paid off.

That's how society is supposed to work.