Over the years, total depravity was erroneously
interpreted as something being totally bad or full
up to the brim with sin. At least, that’s how I
got it initially. However, total is in reference to
all things meaning a totality is tainted as in
there is no completely pure thought or action. We
live with mixed motives. It is a nice idea in advancing
humility not low self-esteem.

The only place I can see there would be an untainted
act would be an instantaneous action in response to
an emergency, e.g. jumping onto the tracks to save
a person who has fallen from the platform as a train
is arriving or from today’s news from London about
the man who scaled several floors of an apartment
building to save a child dangling from a balcony
or a soldier suddenly throwing him or herself
on a tripped grenade to save fellow soldiers.