I have found a selfless good deed. I went to the park and let a bee sting me.
It makes the bee look tough in front of his bee friends. The bee's happy and I am definitely not.

Ya, if you were just a brain in a vat. If you don't know the what that is in reference to, google is your friend.

I have a friend whom I think may be pretty close. Constantly helping others, in the social services field, gives (what I consider) way too much of himself, his time (free time too), his earnings, everything, yet neglects his own health and well being in the process. Despite this, the guy has the most incredible luck at finding money when he most needs it (the friggin lotto for crying out loud), gets free vacations from the strangest of sources, and meets the most interesting people (celebs, politicians) in the oddest fashions. His life is a real test of "what goes around comes around" and karma.

Nothing in existence is perfect, so it would really depend on how you are defining someone as being 'truly' altruistic.

I do believe that, in many ways, we have to choose the high road (so to speak), and that altruism does not always come easily. Sometimes one has to remind oneself, or fight back the urge to be more base and selfish. But just because that fight takes place in the mind doesn't mean you are a bad person, or that you are not being true to your ideals. It just means you are human. The big question is, what comes out? What actions make it from your head to the outside world? And, when you do have a moment where you fail yourself and what you believe is right, do you choose to live there in a spiral of doubt, or learn from it, and move on in hopes of being stronger or doing better next time?

I sincerely care about the welfare of others. I can try.

Ha! Hell tf no. And honestly, that should be square one in any relationship.

It makes me feel good, but I still do it.

Yes. Altruism is just behavior that benefits another at your expense. It doesn't require that you also don't enjoy it. The word just distinguishes behavior that is primarily unselfish from behavior that is primarily selfish, and that is a very useful distinction. It doesn't require absolute purity.

no
because we do things we believe to be right, so they are what we want.

Altruism is like communism, a perfect idea until put into practice. People destroy themselves and live almost completely unhappy lives in the pursuit of an ideology no one expects, not to say it should not be done in moderation, but we are animals with needs that go deeper than our philosophy and reasoning.

Refer to Dawkins to learn about the evolutionary benefits of altruism. It's not pure selflessness, there is a reason it exists in nature, and selection occurs at the level of the gene, not the individual.

tax exemption, for the rich. May be underneath and out of sight but....

Don't think we need to expect people to be like Ghandi may be a Tibetan Monk lol. J/K Is human nature to want to protect issues close to your ideas so no matter who t is they are never going to be totally giving without some reward, doesn't always have to be financial reward.

Gandhi or Mother Teresa. I would say yes. something in their most inner self wants the best for others regardless of self .

Well yes to a point as you need to eat, drink, sleep and do something for entertainment, pleasure, basically some form of habit. Literally completely selfless unlikely to flat out no, practically selfless yes. Giving, assisting, being with others sharing your company and theirs can be altrustic as I don't think taking pleasure in helping others makes it bad.
That being said you can get your identity from anywhere be that to yourself and/or others. If you identify as purely selfless than you may feel conflict if you have a crust of bread you need but see someone else who could use it. Fruits basket has the fool who gave everything he had from shoes to eyes until he was left no more than a smiling skull. Determined as both a fool and a happy man glad to give everything.