Good points... I like point number 2, as I have often thought that there is nothing intrinsically "good" or "bad" about the existence of life in the universe, it is simply a beautifully complex arrangement of atoms, one that pleases us to contemplate and behold.
I do feel like some historical figures that damaged the world did so not out of a feeling of doing what was "good," but more like what they felt was right for them, based on their priorities and worldview (perhaps this is what you meant). Selfishness could fall under this category, if these people felt that certain levels of selfishness were acceptable to them. Indeed, all of us attempt to strike a balance between selfishness and selflessness... some people just have balances that tip toward destruction. This is not to forgive them for their crimes, but I've become increasingly skeptical that everyone thinks they are doing "good" in the sense of "good for humanity."
Anyway, my personal goal is to try to live an enjoyable life while doing my best to avoid harming others in pursuit of that life. I feel like this is a pretty common stance.
The laws of physics, as we currently understand them, describe a universe where it is mind-bogglingly difficult to spread life between the stars. There are literally no science fiction movies (although a few stories) that capture the level of this difficulty. We move through life thinking that some physics break-through is going to give us hyperdrives.
I don't think we'll ever get hyperdrives. If any sentient species invents them, then it will be possible to destroy stars with them. Indeed, I suspect that life is fairly common in the universe, and that countless intelligent species have arisen and died off without leaving their home-planets. The difficulty of the endeavor is like a gigantic challenge, a gauntlet thrown down by the universe that asks, can you do it?
Some people want to climb Everest to see if they can do it. I want to see if humanity can build self-sustaining colonies on other worlds. It just so happens that my Everest ensures that all of the hard work we do on health, justice, technology, etc doesn't die out with us.
I do feel like some historical figures that damaged the world did so not out of a feeling of doing what was "good," but more like what they felt was right for them, based on their priorities and worldview (perhaps this is what you meant). Selfishness could fall under this category, if these people felt that certain levels of selfishness were acceptable to them. Indeed, all of us attempt to strike a balance between selfishness and selflessness... some people just have balances that tip toward destruction. This is not to forgive them for their crimes, but I've become increasingly skeptical that everyone thinks they are doing "good" in the sense of "good for humanity."
Anyway, my personal goal is to try to live an enjoyable life while doing my best to avoid harming others in pursuit of that life. I feel like this is a pretty common stance.