FIRST, a few words about marginal utility, diminishing marginal utility and what that all is.
In the context of cardinal utility, economists postulate a law of diminishing marginal utility, which describes how the first unit of consumption of a particular good or service yields more utility than the second and subsequent units, with a continuing reduction for greater amounts. Therefore, the fall in marginal utility as consumption increases is known as diminishing marginal utility. This concept is used by economists to determine how much of a good a consumer is willing to purchase.
Diminishing marginal utility refers to the phenomenon that each additional unit of gain leads to an ever-smaller increase in subjective value. For example, three bites of candy are better than two bites, but the twentieth bite does not add much to the experience beyond the nineteenth (and could even make it worse). This effect is so well established that it is referred to as the “law of diminishing marginal utility” in economics (Gossen, 1854/1983), and is reflected in the convex shape of most subjective utility functions. This refers to the increase in utility an individual gains from increasing their consumption of a particular good.
SECOND, a bit of a FURTHER explanation of those definitions.
The law of diminishing marginal utility can be illustrated in the following manner.
Suppose the reader REALLY, REALLY likes to eat cupcakes. In fact, cupcakes are his favorite thing to eat in the whole, wide world.
NOW, one day the reader is walking along and says to himself, “I really, REALLY love to eat cupcakes. And I haven’t had a cupcake to eat in MONTHS. I have a little extra cash and some time to kill, I think I’ll head down to the grocery store and buy some cupcakes to eat!”
AND SO, the reader heads to the nearest grocery store, and after looking over what the store has to offer, he selects a BOX of cupcakes which, from the picture on the box, look DELICIOUS.
The reader purchases the BOX of cupcakes and heads outside to try them out.
After opening the box, the reader rips the wrapper off of the cupcake and tears into it.
It is DELICIOUS.
He eats that first cupcake and thinks, “THAT was a good cupcake! It was everything I remembered and a little more.”
In fact, the cupcake tastes so delicious, the reader decides to have another.
Then, the reader looks around and decides he has the time to eat a THIRD cupcake.
The third cupcake tastes good–but not as good as that first one tasted.
Before he knows it, the ENTIRE BOX of cupcakes has been eaten.
And, NONE of the cupcakes tasted as good as that first one.
This is the law of diminishing utility in a nutshell.
The FIRST of anything will taste GREAT or will provide a great comfort and joy.
The SECOND will taste good–but not as GREAT as the first one.
The THIRD (and subsequent ones) will taste good, but not as good as the first or second ones and not as good as the one which came before it.
And so on.
And FINALLY: is the law of diminishing marginal utility a Satanic concept?
(It is right about now that the reader is most likely thinking, “Oh, here we go again: linking a semi-obscure economic term to the end times…”)
The pleasures of SIN suffer from a VERY HIGH ‘law of diminishing utility.’
Someone may engage in sinful behavior–say fornication–and think, “That felt VERY good!”
Some time afterwards, that person may have occasion to REMEMBER the sinful experience and think, “Wow! That felt good, but I’ll never do that again!”
Time passes and that person may have another occasion to remember the sinful experience and think, “I remember thinking that felt good–but I wonder, did it feel as good as all that?”
MORE time passes and that person thinks, “That felt so good, I think I’ may try it again sometime! What could it hurt?”
AND SO, that person tries and tries again to recapture that one good feeling he remembered from the first time.
BUT, he never does.
No matter how many times that person revisits that sin, the good feeling he remembered is ONLY a memory.
A FADING memory.
This is one reason, some people will pursue things–and people! (boyfriends, girlfriends)–which are CLEARLY not good for them: many times they are chasing that one good time they once had AND trying to ‘recapture the moment.’
BUT, the ‘moment’ never seems to be recaptured.
It is only a fading memory held out in front of them as a carrot in order to persuade them to SIN again.
It does NOT matter how many times one sins, it will NEVER be as pleasurable as the memory of that first time.
So, in this manner of speaking, the law of diminishing marginal utility is one which fallen men of the world should have NO trouble in understanding.
HAS the reader EVER attempted to ‘recapture the moment’?
HOW successful was that attempt?
It is not YET too late: there is still a little time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.
DOES the reader believe he is saved?
Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival
DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?
Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16
A Reminder: The Gospel is Simple
MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report
[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: October 18, 2021.]
MORE
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- A Great Deception About SIN: Presenting Something Old As If It Was Something New
- The Police State and Sin: How the Police State creates slaves through Sin
- The World Explains Sin
- Excusing Bad Behavior: The World’s Justification
- Romans 6-7: A Servant or a Captive of Sin?
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- God is in Control
- The Nature of Spiritual Deception
- Tender Mercies of the Lord: Will Not Always Be Available
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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
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© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-21. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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