Not necessarily. If I horribly torture Jim because Jim stepped on my toes, then I am not maximizing total happiness; the unhappiness given to Jim by the torture outwieghs the unhappiness in me that is prevented by having no-one step on my toes.
That’s a lot of effort and pain to prevent someone stepping on your toes.
Also, I’m not sure that’d be a terribly effective way to prevent harm to yourself. I mean, to the extent possible, once everyone knows you tortured Jim, people will be scared shitless to step on your toes, but Jim and Jim’s family are very likely to murder you, or at least sue you for all your money and put you in jail for a long time.
You are correct; it is not terribly effective. However, any disproportionate response to a minor, or even an imagined, slight will reduce total unhappiness while discouraging others from hurting me.
Not necessarily. If I horribly torture Jim because Jim stepped on my toes, then I am not maximizing total happiness; the unhappiness given to Jim by the torture outwieghs the unhappiness in me that is prevented by having no-one step on my toes.
That’s a lot of effort and pain to prevent someone stepping on your toes.
Also, I’m not sure that’d be a terribly effective way to prevent harm to yourself. I mean, to the extent possible, once everyone knows you tortured Jim, people will be scared shitless to step on your toes, but Jim and Jim’s family are very likely to murder you, or at least sue you for all your money and put you in jail for a long time.
You are correct; it is not terribly effective. However, any disproportionate response to a minor, or even an imagined, slight will reduce total unhappiness while discouraging others from hurting me.
No. I just told you. Sometimes a disproportionate response encourages other people to hurt you. That’s actually part of the rule.