Counterbalance a Desired Action

I categorized all behaviors by valence and agency.

I call it the equity scale or decision scale.

Basically, there are 4 behaviors:

1. Misdeeds—You do something bad
2. Mishaps—Something bad happens to you
3. Obligations—You do something good
4. Enrichment—Something good happens to you

Every behavior tilts the scale, requiring any opposite behavior to regain balance.

This scale is ingrained into the criminal justice system. Someone who commits a misdeed (e.g., crime) will typically suffer a mishap (e.g., prison, fine) or perform an obligation (e.g., community service). The victim (who suffered a mishap) might receive enrichment (e.g., money) to rebalance their scale.

See my book The Tangled Mind for applications with morality. See my other book Imagine Reading This Book for applications with self-motivation.