[gaur]

Logic and common sense will never override the primal urge that humans have to punish each other over actions that don't matter.

[tremon]

If not logic and common sense, what do civilized people use to overcome their urges?

[zardo]

Shame.

[vinceguidry]

The "don't matter" is the key part. They might not matter to you, but they do to the people doing the punishing.

[thatcat]

Their actions don't matter because there's no tangible benefit - even for themselves, it's just for the self satisfaction of control.