Regarding 2 - Hammers love Nails. EAs as Hammers, love research, so they bias towards seeing the need for more research (after all, it is what smart people do). Conversely, EAs are less likely (personality-wise) to be comfortable with advocacy and protests (smart people don’t do this). It is the wrong type of nail.
Although what you said might be part of the explanation for why many EAs focus on alignment or governance research rather than pause advocacy, I think the bigger part is that many EAs think that pause advocacy isn’t as good as research. See, e.g., some of these posts.
See all my comments and replies on the anti-pause posts. I don’t think any of the anti-pause arguments stand up if you put significant weight on timelines being short and p(doom) high (and viscerally grasp that yes, that means your own life is in danger, and those of your friends and family too, in the short term! It’s no longer just an abstract concern!).
Regarding 2 - Hammers love Nails. EAs as Hammers, love research, so they bias towards seeing the need for more research (after all, it is what smart people do). Conversely, EAs are less likely (personality-wise) to be comfortable with advocacy and protests (smart people don’t do this). It is the wrong type of nail.
Although what you said might be part of the explanation for why many EAs focus on alignment or governance research rather than pause advocacy, I think the bigger part is that many EAs think that pause advocacy isn’t as good as research. See, e.g., some of these posts.
Yes, my guess is they (like most people!) are motivated by things they’re (1) good at (2) see as high status.
My guess is that many EAs would find protesting cringy and/or awkward!
See all my comments and replies on the anti-pause posts. I don’t think any of the anti-pause arguments stand up if you put significant weight on timelines being short and p(doom) high (and viscerally grasp that yes, that means your own life is in danger, and those of your friends and family too, in the short term! It’s no longer just an abstract concern!).