That these are so widely regarded as the only alternatives says much about human dispositions toward others.
In case you wondered which might be more common, benevolence or malevolence.
Three things are not the same.
Choice, which results like a vector from the strengths of present desires.
Happiness, which appears to be a function of affective, emotional, and conative states.
Well-being, which seems to be a function of objective factors like health, safety, and physical condition.
Regarding the latter two there are obvious negative interactions.
For example, illness being a source of anxiety or preventing realization of desire makes for unhappiness.
And chronic stress, dread, or fear can ruin one's health.
On the other hand, it is not unknown for people to sacrifice personal well-being to desires whose satisfaction is needful for their happiness.
Typically this involves sacrifice for beloved others, human or not.
It also seems there are desires whose satisfaction can only be had for a net loss in long run happiness, well-being, or both, that all the same are strong enough to prevail.
Think of addictions.
Think of those who make great sacrifices, even of their lives, for love.
Or for hate.
There is not generally, if ever, among our present desires a desire to maximize our own happiness or well-being, per se.
Much less that of any specific others or humanity in general.
Common twaddle to the contrary notwithstanding.
What passes among humans for prudence, for example, is only marked and persistent concern for future recognized elements of well-being, mostly in order to ward off future impediments to happiness.
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