Throwaway account to give a vague personal anecdote. I agree this has gotten better for some, but I think this is still a problem (a) that new people have to work out for themselves, going through the stages on their own, perhaps faster than happened 5 years ago; (b) that hits people differently if they are “converted” to EA but not as successful in their pursuit of impact. These people are left in a precarious psychological position.
I experienced both. I think of myself as “EA bycatch.” By the time I went through the phases of thinking through all of this for myself, I had already sacrificed a lot of things in the name of impact that I can’t get back (money, time, alternative professional opportunities, relationships, etc). Frankly some things got wrecked in my life that can’t be put back together. Being collateral damage for the cause feels terrible, but I really do hope the work brings results and is worth it.
Throwaway account to give a vague personal anecdote. I agree this has gotten better for some, but I think this is still a problem (a) that new people have to work out for themselves, going through the stages on their own, perhaps faster than happened 5 years ago; (b) that hits people differently if they are “converted” to EA but not as successful in their pursuit of impact. These people are left in a precarious psychological position.
I experienced both. I think of myself as “EA bycatch.” By the time I went through the phases of thinking through all of this for myself, I had already sacrificed a lot of things in the name of impact that I can’t get back (money, time, alternative professional opportunities, relationships, etc). Frankly some things got wrecked in my life that can’t be put back together. Being collateral damage for the cause feels terrible, but I really do hope the work brings results and is worth it.