Self as Other

Lately I have thought about what life is all about...okay, well I guess that is not just a ponderation as of late. I was thinking that perhaps life is just about being good to others, finding happiness in looking out for others. This seems somewhat pointless to me though, as we are all 'other(s)' in a way, and to what end does this accomplish? I think though, that it is for the self, but almost in a tricky back-handed way. If we live life for the self outright, we end up being isolated and in a constant state of discontent. However, if we live life for others we end up fooling ourselves into thinking that there is some abstract greatness being accomplished and this distracts us from ourselves and the utter humanity and finiteness of all we are. However, the deed, however great, is not truly great for either the giver or the receiver, for it falls short of anything lasting and is therefore futile. I heard another interesting concept in the movie synedoche, NY, where the protagonist talks about how we are each the main character in our own story, and that we go though life hoping that someone is watching us; that we are the protagonist in another's story. We feel as though we are the ones on stage, when really everyone is watching their own play and no one is watching yours. Therefore in the end all you have is yourself, you are they only one who knows yourself and other people's stories will go on without you.