> [!tldr] Applying [[Systems Thinking]] to philosophy to maximize experiential value This is a philosophy for life that I came up with in [Column 490](https://gillespedia.com/Value+Stream+Mapping). One of my philosophies on life is that we _(probably should)_ seek to maximize the “good” in the world… and realize a few truths simultaneously: 1. **“Good” is a matter of perception** - if something “good” happens in a forest and nobody’s around to experience it, did good happen? I’d argue _no_.[2](https://aarongilly.com/Columns/490#user-content-fn-2) 2. **“Good in the world” is a sum of all goods perceived by any** - if I experience a little joy, good in the world has happened. If a squirrel finds a particularly good acorn and is happy, good in the world happens. 3. **What’s “good” varies from being to being** - different societies and different individuals within each society have different values, which are what our basis for “good” is. 4. **Bad offsets good** - this one is simple, but taking candy from a baby is “good” for the taker, but _bad_ for the baby. Humans[3](https://aarongilly.com/Columns/490#user-content-fn-3) suffer from [loss aversion](https://gillespedia.com/Loss+Aversion). In short, it the pain of losing 1 candy bar is worse than the pleasure of gaining 1 candy bar. 5. **Diminishing returns is a thing** - going from 9 candy bars to 10 candy bars not the same as going from 0 candy bars to 1 candy bar. 6. **We should try to bring “goodness” unto others** - doing this properly would necessitate understanding what they value - it’s an example of [The Platinum Rule](https://gillespedia.com/The+Platinum+Rule). 7. **We have limited influence over others** - you cannot control whether or not someone else has “good” experiences, really. 8. **You are a part of the world** - experiencing joy and other things you value is a reliable method _(but cannot be the only method)_ through which you bring more good into the world. 9. **Taking care of yourself allows you to take care of others** - if you burn yourself out focusing on taking care of others, then your ability to take care of others diminishes. This is a case of philosophical [P-PC Balance](https://gillespedia.com/P-PC+Balance). 10. **Observe and adjust** - you cannot know exactly what will make more good in the world. You can guess and check. I gave a person on the street $10. Is that good? I gave myself a rest and let an unimportant task slide. Is that good? **** # More ## Source - self