What brought me here was discovering GiveWell their approach to finding the most cost-effective interventions really resonated with me, and I've already started giving based on their research. It's incredible that some interventions can be 100x or even 1,000x more effective than others.

I'm also working to transition into AI alignment research as a career. The fact that only a few hundred researchers work on alignment compared to tens of thousands making AI more powerful really highlights how neglected this problem is. I'm hoping this program will help me think more clearly about how I can contribute to this field.

Factory farming is another area I'm passionate about the scale of suffering and how underfunded advocacy is compared to its impact potential is striking.

Looking forward to learning from everyone and challenging my assumptions along the way!

I'm new to effective altruism and coming into this program with an open mind. Until now, I've only known one approach to helping others, so I'm genuinely curious to explore different perspectives on how to make a positive impact on a global scale.

What particularly resonates with me from this introduction is the emphasis on thinking critically rather than just accepting ideas at face value. I appreciate that the EA community doesn't claim to have all the answers, there's active debate about which causes to prioritize, and that honesty is refreshing.

I'm especially drawn to the idea of "taking ideas seriously" and asking myself questions like "If this is true, what does that imply I should be doing differently?" This feels like a powerful framework for moving beyond good intentions to actual impact.

I'm looking forward to learning from others in this program, understanding different approaches to doing good, and hopefully discovering how my own perspective on helping the world might evolve through these discussions. I'm ready to question my assumptions and see where this journey leads.

This reading is challenging me in ways I didn't expect.

The quote "pretending there is no choice only makes our decisions worse" really struck me. I've always approached helping others with the mindset that everyone deserves help and they do. But this reading is asking me to accept something difficult: that I can't help everyone, and that choosing to help 98 people effectively might mean I can't reach the other 2.

That's a hard pill to swallow. My instinct is to worry about those 2 people, to feel like I'm leaving someone behind. I want to live in a world where everyone gets help, where all lives are saved. The scout mindset and scope sensitivity concepts are pushing me to accept reality that with limited resources, I can do more good by being strategic, even though it goes against everything that feels natural to me.

I'm still processing this shift in perspective. The realization that acceptance is necessary doesn't make it easier, but I understand now that it's the first step toward actually maximizing the good I can do. It's about being honest with myself about what's possible, rather than spreading myself too thin and helping fewer people as a result.

This is uncomfortable, but I think that means I'm learning something important.