Robert Heinlein once said, "Beware
altruism. It is based on
self-deception, the root of all
evil." He also said, "If tempted by something that feels '
altruistic', examine your
motives and root out that
self-deception. Then, if you still want to do it,
wallow in it!"
What's really so bad about words like 'selfish' and 'self-centered'? Look at what those words mean, and then ask yourself if those are bad traits or not.
Altruism always makes me nervous, whether I find it in someone else or in myself. It worries me to think that people can lie to themselves so effectively, and it frightens me that I can still do it sometimes, too.