Thanks for writing. I think that a kind of hopelessness is common across numerous causes—AI risk and animal welfare are the two that come to mind immediately. As you’ve mentioned, hopelessness can also be contagious and it can crop up a lot in the communities working on these issues. The strategies you’ve included here are definitely helpful; I also think, though, that we should give some thought to have we tell the story of AI futures, the future of animal welfare etc. Doom narratives can lead to despondency, and that’s something we need to be wary of.
Thanks for writing. I think that a kind of hopelessness is common across numerous causes—AI risk and animal welfare are the two that come to mind immediately. As you’ve mentioned, hopelessness can also be contagious and it can crop up a lot in the communities working on these issues. The strategies you’ve included here are definitely helpful; I also think, though, that we should give some thought to have we tell the story of AI futures, the future of animal welfare etc. Doom narratives can lead to despondency, and that’s something we need to be wary of.