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Altruism isn't a grandiose dream or an ideal, it's a type of behaviour. Here's dictionary.com's definition:
1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism).
2. Animal Behavior. behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.
What you guys are saying by claiming that Lelouch will always put the happiness of others above his own is that Lelouch is completely altruistic. It's not a matter of whether he believes it's possible or not, and neither is it an issue of whether or not he extends his altruism beyond a certain subset of individuals. As long as Lelouch is always more concerned about others than about himself, then he is always being altruistic.
You might be right in saying that altruistic feelings are very human, but the fact of the matter is that the perfect expression of altruism is not only unrealistic, it's like the very definition of idealism. I personally don't believe Code Geass is the story of the ultimate 'nice guy', who is nice even though he doesn't seem like it.
Regarding Taniguchi's comments: even if Lelouch will always choose another person's happiness when it comes down to it (which is patently false, as we've seen that the only people whose happiness Lelouch cares particularly about are the people close to him), that doesn't preclude pursuing his own happiness when it doesn't come down to it. All I am saying is, when all of Lelouch's friends and family are happy, and everybody who Lelouch cares about is doing fine and dandy, then Lelouch will pursue the things that make him happy. Lelouch has pretty low standards for the sins and burdens he will take up and carry, but the sum of those burdens is not insurmountable. Not only is there room for Lelouch to act for his own sake, he is not so self-defeating and broken as to not make use of it.
Jesus, it's like you guys are trying to make him out to be Jesus or something. I'm not even trying to make him out to be a bad guy or something. Might I just remind you, being Jesus isn't healthy!
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