I have long believed that the ultimate good is found in increasing human happiness and joy. After all, happiness is the object and design of our existence. Fulfilling that purpose and helping others to do the same is part of our purpose in life. Then, I imagine that the inverse would also be true. Causing suffering is evil. This also aligns well with my moral intuition. It's wrong to hurt people, physically or emotionally.
Yet, I've run into a complication: People have some control over their emotions. People can choose, at least to some extent, not to get upset by things. Sure, others may cause bad feelings, but the individual in whom those bad feelings are caused can choose, with some effort, to let go of those bad feelings or to prevent them from landing their mark in the first place.
Then, what is to be said about the moral implications of these hurt feelings? Is it evil to hold on to harmful emotions, even those caused by other people? Insofar as doing so causes or prolongs suffering, I would say yes. Then, does the afflicted person's ability to let go of negative emotions absolve the responsibility of the individual who caused them? I don't think so. Each individual is responsible for the suffering they cause, even if another person manages to relieve that suffering.
The rule is deceptively simple: Try make people happy and try to avoid making people unhappy. Yet, this simple rule can have some interesting applications. I'll have to think more on this when I'm not out of time or dead tired.
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