Hmm…Where Did I Hear That Before?

So I’ve been reading Mastering Self-Leadership here and there at home. Today I ran across this text:

One aspect of naturally rewarding activities, which many would argue provides a sense of purpose, involves helping or expressing goodwill toward others. The term altruism is often used in connection with this idea. The author Hans Seyle has suggested the way to enjoy a rewarding lifestyle, free of disabling stress, is to practice “altruistic egoism.” In essence, this idea involves helping others and “earning their love” while at the same time recognizing one’s own needs and enhancing oneself (egoism). Seyle explains that the natural biological nature of humankind drives people toward self-preservation, or what might be more bluntly described as selfishness. The philosophy suggests that only by marrying this innate, self-centered nature with an attitude of winning the goodwill and respect of others through altruistic efforts will a happy, meaningful life result. On the other hand, in a scholarly article analyzing evidence from biology and psychology, another author, Martin Hoffman, concludes that an altruistic motive may exist in humans apart from egoistic motives. The evidence suggests that altruism may be a part of human nature that is not entwined with any “selfish” motive.

Well blimey! Where have we heard this before? Is he saying that we are created with an innate desire to want to love our neighbor and that when we do so, we feel good about it (“blessed”)? It’s amazing to me that the more our sciences advance and learn about the way the world works, the more it points to what Bible has been telling us for millennia.