The code of rules that rule-consequentialism favours (that is, a code comprised of rules are not too numerous, too complicated, or too demanding) can sometimes lead people to do acts that do not have the greatest expected value. For example, following the simpler rule “Don’t steal” will sometimes produce less good consequences than following a more complicated rule “Don’t steal except when … or … or … or … or …”. Another example might be following a rule that allows people to give some degree of priority to their own projects, even when they could produce more good by sacrificing their own projects in order to help others. Still, rule-consequentialism’s contention is that bringing about widespread acceptance of a simpler and less demanding code, even if acceptance of that code does sometimes lead people to do acts with sub-optimal consequences, has higher expected value in the long run than bringing about widespread acceptance of a maximally complicated and demanding code. Since rule-consequentialism can tell people to follow this simpler and less demanding code, even when following it will not to maximise expected good, rule-consequentialism escapes collapse into practical equivalence to act-consequentialism.