Companies often point to the true efficiencies gained due to their implementation of technologies, their use of new products, or their laying off of workers. There’s no question that all of these can produce more value at lower cost.
But I’ve always wondered about the (even more) true efficiencies of social interaction, at least in our modern capitalist economy. Efficiencies, taken without ethical considerations, are interesting because they work outside of the norms of behavior but are somehow part of them. Here are some examples, and they are Benthamist in bent and general in general:
1. Having people over to share a meal. It is highly likely that, because one is sharing food with others, that one will not poison the others through the serving of breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. The reason is that it is difficult to assign and always be sure of which plate of food contains the ill-gotten goods.
2. Driving one’s car. It’s likely that an accident on the road is just that. People do not, generally, swerve purposely into someone else’s car because it would prevent them from being effective — from getting to the next place.
3. Setting fires. While it’s nice to look at fire often, it does not serve one’s immediate needs to set a fire in one’s neigborhood as there’s a good chance your possessions will be lost in the mix.