I found it really difficult to reply to this comment, partly because it is difficult for me to inhabit the mindset of trying to be a representative for EA. When I talk to people about EA, including when I was talking to students who might be interested in joining an EA student group, it is more similar to “I like EA because X, the coolest thing about EA for me is Y, I think Z though other people in EA disagree a bunch with my views on Z for W reason and are more into V instead” rather than trying to give an objective perspective on EA.
I’m just really wary of changing the things I say until it gets people to do the thing I want (sign up for my student group, care about AI safety, etc.) There are some situations when that might be warranted like if you’re doing some policy-related thing. However, when running a student group and trying to get people who are really smart and good at thinking, it seems like the thing I’d want to do is just to state what I believe and why I believe it (even and especially if my reasons sound dumb) and then hearing where the other person agrees or disagrees with me. I don’t want to state arguments for EA or AI safety to new members again and again in different ways until they get on board with all of it, I want us to collaboratively figure things out.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts here.
I found it really difficult to reply to this comment, partly because it is difficult for me to inhabit the mindset of trying to be a representative for EA. When I talk to people about EA, including when I was talking to students who might be interested in joining an EA student group, it is more similar to “I like EA because X, the coolest thing about EA for me is Y, I think Z though other people in EA disagree a bunch with my views on Z for W reason and are more into V instead” rather than trying to give an objective perspective on EA.
I’m just really wary of changing the things I say until it gets people to do the thing I want (sign up for my student group, care about AI safety, etc.) There are some situations when that might be warranted like if you’re doing some policy-related thing. However, when running a student group and trying to get people who are really smart and good at thinking, it seems like the thing I’d want to do is just to state what I believe and why I believe it (even and especially if my reasons sound dumb) and then hearing where the other person agrees or disagrees with me. I don’t want to state arguments for EA or AI safety to new members again and again in different ways until they get on board with all of it, I want us to collaboratively figure things out.