A punishment is when one agent (the punisher) imposes costs on another (the punished) in order to affect the punished's behavior. In a Society where thieves are predictably imprisoned and lashed, people will predictably steal less than they otherwise would, for fear of being imprisoned and lashed.

Punishment is often imposed by formal institutions like police and judicial systems, but need not be. A controversial orator who finds a rock thrown through her window can be said to have been punished in the same sense: in a Society where controversial orators predictably get rocks thrown through their windows, people will predictably engage in less controversial speech, for fear of getting rocks thrown through their windows.

In the most basic forms of punishment, which we might term "physical", the nature of the cost imposed on the punished is straightforward. No one likes being stuck in prison, or being [...]

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First published:
October 8th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/LyJNgxcNNSzmFxF3g/the-relationship-between-social-punishment-and-shared-maps

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“The Relationship Between Social Punishment and Shared Maps” by Zack_M_Davis

LessWrong (30+ Karma)

“The Relationship Between Social Punishment and Shared Maps” by Zack_M_Davis