Nice Guys Finish Last and Guys in Last Are Nice

True altruism involves sacrifice and is thus incompatible, in people’s minds, with benefits to the benefactor. Consistent with this prototype, selflessly motivated prosocial actors are perceived as less likely to benefit from their acts compared with selfishly motivated actors (“Nice guys finish last”), and prosocial actors who benefit are perceived as less benevolent than those who do not (“Guys in last are nice”)—even in situations for which...