Is 10,000 people suffering identically equal bad as one of them?

[jason56]

There is plenty of benefit over instincts, for one they are more likely to get you to true claims - We can use the values that exist (our desires) to determine whether or not any particular action Is good or bad to an individual, then we can look at these desires as they relate to our shared values (those desires and experiences that overlap) to determine if it is a value that tends to promote or thwart more other values. Suffering is just one aspect of value, to be specific it is only bad if the desire is not to suffer, for those who desire to suffer you cannot say it is bad.

The problem assumed that they have an aversion to suffering.

I accept that we can rationalize our emotions, that's not a problem.

Regarding the specific question in hand though; it sounds wholly unnatural and unhealthy to control human emotion using predetermined conceptual numbers. I'm no psychologist, but I imagine anyone with this skill would NOT be considered very rational at all.

Also, any two people will never feel the exact same emotion, even to the same event. So 10,000 people suffering might already trigger the same response as one person suffering, in two different people. You could never define a single unit of suffering to do the math. ..or indeed truly define what is the human emotion of "suffering".