it's hard to know without (a) what the counterfactual is for the forum team, and (b) some impact stories/ botecs/ indications of what debate weeks have resulted in.
This is a great post—thanks, Frances! This comes up a lot in my conversations about EA, and I really appreciate the clarity you've brought to it.
One line that really stood out to me was:
“And shouldn’t everyone have the organs that they so desperately need?”
I think it can be useful to acknowledge that the answer to this question is a clear yes. When I talk to people about triage, I always try to acknowledge that, ideally, we wouldn’t have to make these trade-offs at all. Our ultimate goal isn’t to help only those above a certain threshold—it’s to help everyone.
We prioritise not because we think some lives matter more, but because we wish we could help everyone.
Part of me thinks we should spend years reflecting on lifelong decisions before making them; hence, we ought not encourage young people (e.g., university students) to sign the GWWC pledge.
However, a bigger part of me thinks locking in altruistic desires to mitigate future selfishness is *exactly* what we should be doing. Some argue that we shouldn't make life-long decisions as young people because our preferences and values may change. Yet, to me, this is all the more reason to take the GWWC pledge; it is precisely because our altruistic tendencies might weaken that we should lock those values in. I want to do things that increase the likelihood of future-Sam still wanting to help others as much as current-Sam.
Separately, starting to donate when you're young can make the process much easier! I began giving 10% when I got my first job at 16, and it has never felt aversive or difficult. I don't think "I've earnt £100, so now I have to give up £10", instead, I just view it as earning £90. I imagine that if I started this practice aged 40, I would long for that extra £10 much more.
Hi Eirine, thank you for this! We've updated the link in this post; however, we cannot seem to find the second URL. If you let us know where that link was located it can amended asap! Thank you again for flagging.
EAs inflect upwards with their intonation. I think this is used to signal uncertainty and epistemic humility. However, it's often excessive and highly noticeable to non-EAs; I saw my family for the first time in six weeks, having been in Trajan during this period, and they highlighted this change in my voice (with much mockery). I thought it might be worth noting for those that aren't aware : )
it's hard to know without (a) what the counterfactual is for the forum team, and (b) some impact stories/ botecs/ indications of what debate weeks have resulted in.
This is a great post—thanks, Frances! This comes up a lot in my conversations about EA, and I really appreciate the clarity you've brought to it.
One line that really stood out to me was:
I think it can be useful to acknowledge that the answer to this question is a clear yes. When I talk to people about triage, I always try to acknowledge that, ideally, we wouldn’t have to make these trade-offs at all. Our ultimate goal isn’t to help only those above a certain threshold—it’s to help everyone.
We prioritise not because we think some lives matter more, but because we wish we could help everyone.
Part of me thinks we should spend years reflecting on lifelong decisions before making them; hence, we ought not encourage young people (e.g., university students) to sign the GWWC pledge.
However, a bigger part of me thinks locking in altruistic desires to mitigate future selfishness is *exactly* what we should be doing. Some argue that we shouldn't make life-long decisions as young people because our preferences and values may change. Yet, to me, this is all the more reason to take the GWWC pledge; it is precisely because our altruistic tendencies might weaken that we should lock those values in. I want to do things that increase the likelihood of future-Sam still wanting to help others as much as current-Sam.
Separately, starting to donate when you're young can make the process much easier! I began giving 10% when I got my first job at 16, and it has never felt aversive or difficult. I don't think "I've earnt £100, so now I have to give up £10", instead, I just view it as earning £90. I imagine that if I started this practice aged 40, I would long for that extra £10 much more.
Hey, this page might be helpful for you! Happy to chat as well if you'd like a soundboard : )
https://resources.eagroups.org/post-intro-fellowship-strategy-considerations
This looks great; however, I can't seem to find the dates when it will be run?
If you haven't had 80k advising before, that could be a great place to start!
Hi Eirine, thank you for this! We've updated the link in this post; however, we cannot seem to find the second URL. If you let us know where that link was located it can amended asap! Thank you again for flagging.
EAs inflect upwards with their intonation. I think this is used to signal uncertainty and epistemic humility. However, it's often excessive and highly noticeable to non-EAs; I saw my family for the first time in six weeks, having been in Trajan during this period, and they highlighted this change in my voice (with much mockery). I thought it might be worth noting for those that aren't aware : )
Hi there, is there a syllabus for this available?
Hi Karl, just wanted to say that impact aside, I really ENJOYED reading this. Thanks for writing!