"Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life."
The ideal is realized in Anthem, as Equality 7-2521 begins to break free of existing for the sake of unity. It is taught that that is the way it is supposed to be, and that everyone is supposed to act for everyone's sake and not their own. However, it is displayed as a problem when Equality 7-2521 notices others around him are different, and unhappy. He displays this ideal as he starts to exist for himself, and acts out of self interest, and becomes happy, despite this going against everything he was taught.
When a character acts selfishly against the prevailing vice(s) of the dominant social order, true virtue exhibits itself?
This question makes sense, and is not a conundrum. As Equality 7-2521 set out, he acted selfishly, but out of that action showed true virtue in attempting to help the society. He wanted to teach them about the light he had discovered. He showed virtue in his act of saving his friend as well. In the end, he was determined to make a better hidden society, and despite acting in selfishness, it resulted in virtue.
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