Good article, but this stuck out "Selling yourself, which sounds almost noble, is little more than manipulating other people to do what is good for you but might not be so good for others."

That's bullshit. There are plenty of opportunities to make money in a mutually beneficial relationship. This is the difference between ethical business and unethical business. If your focus is getting over on other people, then you can rationalize all you want, but you are an unethical person.

You can influence people to do thing that are in their own best interest. Use the force for good, not evil.