Rewards given mainly to one's self-esteem.
Commonly applied as an argument in moral philosophy to demonstrate that ostensibly altruistic acts are self-interested. A typical exchange goes like this:
Ethical egoism theorist - "Everyone acts in an entirely self-interested way."
Her opponent - "But what about soldiers who throw themselves on grenades to save their comrades?"
Ethical egoism theorist - "Before they're turned into a red mist, they experience great ego dividends."