The idea that one should make choices in one's life based on the utility of each choice. If, for example, a poor person were asking for money on the street, some would say that it would be more utilitarian to forget about this person. However, it may actually be more utilitarian to help. Other people having a means to live comfortably is perhaps a good thing for us. This may be because it simply makes us feel better or because eventually it leads to drastic social change.