@Julia_Wiseđ¸â both in terms of bridge-building and personal sacrifice. Juliaâs writing was pivotal in making me feel welcome in EA. Seeing many of my own interests/âconcerns/âways of being reflected in her work reassured me there was a place for me in the community. I also greatly admire + aspire to her (and Jeffâs) level of giving.
@Catherine Lowđ¸â a local mentor/ârole-model for me, though many outside NZ know her too! Sheâs an amazingly warm and welcoming super-connector/âbridge-builder. As my predecessor at EA NZ, I often think about whether Iâm living up to her example. I also love her story as a reminder that life (and impact) doesnât end at 30. Given how young the community skews, there can be a sense that youâve failed if you havenât achieved something amazing by age 25. Catherine is a great counter to this: she didnât discover EA until well after 25, and is having a fantastic impact regardless.
@GraceAdamsđ¸â another local-ish mentor/ârole model. I really appreciate her example of balancing a high-impact career alongside ongoing health issues. (Not sure which theme this fits under. Maybe we need one for sustainable engagement with EA?) I also really admire what sheâs achieved at GWWC. She was the one who ultimately persuaded me to take the pledge, as someone whoâd already been giving 10% for many years, and didnât feel the need for an external commitment device.
There are many others in/âaround the community who I greatly admire and respect, but donât think of as personal role models. E.g. Paul Farmer did incredible work, but I donât especially see myself reflected in him, or aspire to live like him in the particulars. I guess I tend to gravitate towards role models who are in some sense âme-but-betterâ.
There are also many people who exemplify particular virtues/âprinciples, but who I wouldnât call âEA role-modelsâ per-se. E.g. I consider Darwin a role model in terms of intellectual humility and truth seeking, but he wasnât exactly EA.
Rowan, this is enormously sweet! I just logged in to the EA Forum for the first time in ages and Iâm really honoured! Being public about my health has felt like a tough decision but knowing that itâs resonated with you and others makes it feel really worth it!
Love this question! Some role models for me:
@Julia_Wiseđ¸ â both in terms of bridge-building and personal sacrifice. Juliaâs writing was pivotal in making me feel welcome in EA. Seeing many of my own interests/âconcerns/âways of being reflected in her work reassured me there was a place for me in the community. I also greatly admire + aspire to her (and Jeffâs) level of giving.
@Catherine Lowđ¸ â a local mentor/ârole-model for me, though many outside NZ know her too! Sheâs an amazingly warm and welcoming super-connector/âbridge-builder. As my predecessor at EA NZ, I often think about whether Iâm living up to her example. I also love her story as a reminder that life (and impact) doesnât end at 30. Given how young the community skews, there can be a sense that youâve failed if you havenât achieved something amazing by age 25. Catherine is a great counter to this: she didnât discover EA until well after 25, and is having a fantastic impact regardless.
@GraceAdamsđ¸â another local-ish mentor/ârole model. I really appreciate her example of balancing a high-impact career alongside ongoing health issues. (Not sure which theme this fits under. Maybe we need one for sustainable engagement with EA?) I also really admire what sheâs achieved at GWWC. She was the one who ultimately persuaded me to take the pledge, as someone whoâd already been giving 10% for many years, and didnât feel the need for an external commitment device.
There are many others in/âaround the community who I greatly admire and respect, but donât think of as personal role models. E.g. Paul Farmer did incredible work, but I donât especially see myself reflected in him, or aspire to live like him in the particulars. I guess I tend to gravitate towards role models who are in some sense âme-but-betterâ.
There are also many people who exemplify particular virtues/âprinciples, but who I wouldnât call âEA role-modelsâ per-se. E.g. I consider Darwin a role model in terms of intellectual humility and truth seeking, but he wasnât exactly EA.
Rowan, this is enormously sweet! I just logged in to the EA Forum for the first time in ages and Iâm really honoured! Being public about my health has felt like a tough decision but knowing that itâs resonated with you and others makes it feel really worth it!