Aaron I think the point they are making is that this mental health concern has not been properly incorporated into everyday interactions. I agree with you that there are good long term resources.
The post made several points, of which I responded to some but not others. I did find myself a bit conflicted on the point you mentioned:
Personal conversation regarding one’s emotions too often takes a backseat to other more intellectually-charged topics. Vulnerability—the willingness to talk and listen to others talk about their suffering and shame—is hard to encounter.
EA groups often bring people together as friends, and vulnerability is a major facet of friendship. But I’d expect that EA groups in and of themselves (e.g. at official meetings where people don’t necessarily know each other closely) would mostly be focused on intellectual topics. And I’d hope that, if someone found a local/university EA group to be insufficiently focused on this kind of conversation, they’d be able to find that kind of support in other social settings.
(A group might end up having some personally-focused activities as well. For example, I’d hope that a group retreat would make space for vulnerability and personal bonding. But I also understand if a group doesn’t do much of this, especially when they are physically separated by pandemic conditions.)
Aaron I think the point they are making is that this mental health concern has not been properly incorporated into everyday interactions. I agree with you that there are good long term resources.
The post made several points, of which I responded to some but not others. I did find myself a bit conflicted on the point you mentioned:
EA groups often bring people together as friends, and vulnerability is a major facet of friendship. But I’d expect that EA groups in and of themselves (e.g. at official meetings where people don’t necessarily know each other closely) would mostly be focused on intellectual topics. And I’d hope that, if someone found a local/university EA group to be insufficiently focused on this kind of conversation, they’d be able to find that kind of support in other social settings.
(A group might end up having some personally-focused activities as well. For example, I’d hope that a group retreat would make space for vulnerability and personal bonding. But I also understand if a group doesn’t do much of this, especially when they are physically separated by pandemic conditions.)