I’m not good at expressing it formally, but I was thinking more:
Expected total utility to my friend of going to a bar with her granddaughters > expected total value to her of staying home,* but the the expected utility to society of her going to the bar with her grandkids is negative.
As long as enough other people stay home, on the other hand, the social costs of her going out are not as high as they would be if more people went out.
On the third hand, even if a bunch of people going out increases the cost (to both herself and society) of her going out, watching other people defect makes her feel like a sucker.
*She’s in her late 70s, and my feeling is she’s don’t the math and figures she may not have that many good years left, so she didn’t want to miss out on one, even if it increased her life expectancy.
I’m not good at expressing it formally, but I was thinking more:
Expected total utility to my friend of going to a bar with her granddaughters > expected total value to her of staying home,* but the the expected utility to society of her going to the bar with her grandkids is negative.
As long as enough other people stay home, on the other hand, the social costs of her going out are not as high as they would be if more people went out.
On the third hand, even if a bunch of people going out increases the cost (to both herself and society) of her going out, watching other people defect makes her feel like a sucker.
*She’s in her late 70s, and my feeling is she’s don’t the math and figures she may not have that many good years left, so she didn’t want to miss out on one, even if it increased her life expectancy.