This is because the current paradigm for community building emphasises finding talented and ambitious people that want to tackle the world’s most pressing problem, and not to create them.
Can you clarify this? This could mean different things:
We should make EA people more talented
We should make EA people more ambitious
We should make people more talented
We should make people more ambitious
We should make people want to tackle the world’s most pressing problems
and other stuff. I assume you mean (3)+(4)+(5) all at once via a new strategy targeting the “four reasons why people are not joining your Introductory EA Program.” IMO current community building is already trying to do (5). And there seem to be efforts to make people more productive (e.g. some office spaces provide food and bring people together so they can share ideas).
Yes, I will give my best! Thanks for asking Jakub. Using your list, it would be points 4 and 5.
To provide further nuance, I would like to emphasize two points. First, regarding point 4, I believe that many individuals possess a great deal of talent and ambition, however, they may be directed towards different pursuits. When I speak of “creating,” I am primarily referring to redirecting ambition towards tackling the world’s most pressing problems.
Secondly, in regards to point 5, I believe that encouraging individuals to address the most pressing issues is not always best accomplished simply by educating them about these issues.
People have different priorities and ambitions at various stages in their lives, which is natural. I would argue that the challenge is that many individuals have not thoroughly reflected on their most important values and goals. As a result, it becomes hard for them to tell if what they’re doing aligns with their goals they might find most important in the end. In fact, determining this can be challenging. In other words, when I speak of “creating” individuals who want to tackle the world’s most pressing problems, I mean that we should empower people to re-evaluate their existing priorities and to let them learn about the “fact” that making a positive impact may be one of many meaningful ways to lead a fulfilling life. Through this process, individuals may come to realize that this path will bring them (and others) more happiness.
This ties into the second point. Before individuals can care about addressing the most pressing issues, they need to understand why it matters to them personally. Unless an individual has established that making a positive impact is a core part of their life, why should they be motivated to tackle the world’s most pressing problems? The underlying reason for wanting to do so often stems from a desire to prevent large-scale suffering or improve the wellbeing of many.
I agree with you that community building is already working towards point 5, however, the current approach is only effective for a relatively small portion of people—namely, those who have already determined that making a positive impact is important to them. For those who have not yet reached this realization, learning about how to make a bigger impact will not be particularly effective unless they are first motivated to do so. Improving their productivity or time management skills will not be particularly helpful unless they have a desire to use their time to make a positive impact. I believe that we need a more diverse range of strategies to inspire this motivation in different types of individuals. For some, learning about how to make a big impact may be sufficient, while for others, learning about why making an impact matters may be necessary as a foundation for intrinsic motivation.
Thanks for the detailed reply. So instead of informing people who value altruism about the best ways to help, we should also try to elevate the importance of altruism within people’s values. Am I understanding correctly?
Yes indeed. It is not only about providing guidance for those who already prioritize making a positive impact, but also about inspiring and fostering that desire in individuals who may not have fully considered that option. By providing people with the opportunity to think about the relevance of altruism in their own lives we might not only be able to elevate its importance within individuals’ values but also create a more motivated and well-informed group of individuals who are eager to learn about the most effective ways to make a difference.
Can you clarify this? This could mean different things:
We should make EA people more talented
We should make EA people more ambitious
We should make people more talented
We should make people more ambitious
We should make people want to tackle the world’s most pressing problems
and other stuff. I assume you mean (3)+(4)+(5) all at once via a new strategy targeting the “four reasons why people are not joining your Introductory EA Program.” IMO current community building is already trying to do (5). And there seem to be efforts to make people more productive (e.g. some office spaces provide food and bring people together so they can share ideas).
Yes, I will give my best! Thanks for asking Jakub. Using your list, it would be points 4 and 5.
To provide further nuance, I would like to emphasize two points.
First, regarding point 4, I believe that many individuals possess a great deal of talent and ambition, however, they may be directed towards different pursuits. When I speak of “creating,” I am primarily referring to redirecting ambition towards tackling the world’s most pressing problems.
Secondly, in regards to point 5, I believe that encouraging individuals to address the most pressing issues is not always best accomplished simply by educating them about these issues.
People have different priorities and ambitions at various stages in their lives, which is natural. I would argue that the challenge is that many individuals have not thoroughly reflected on their most important values and goals. As a result, it becomes hard for them to tell if what they’re doing aligns with their goals they might find most important in the end. In fact, determining this can be challenging. In other words, when I speak of “creating” individuals who want to tackle the world’s most pressing problems, I mean that we should empower people to re-evaluate their existing priorities and to let them learn about the “fact” that making a positive impact may be one of many meaningful ways to lead a fulfilling life. Through this process, individuals may come to realize that this path will bring them (and others) more happiness.
This ties into the second point. Before individuals can care about addressing the most pressing issues, they need to understand why it matters to them personally. Unless an individual has established that making a positive impact is a core part of their life, why should they be motivated to tackle the world’s most pressing problems? The underlying reason for wanting to do so often stems from a desire to prevent large-scale suffering or improve the wellbeing of many.
I agree with you that community building is already working towards point 5, however, the current approach is only effective for a relatively small portion of people—namely, those who have already determined that making a positive impact is important to them. For those who have not yet reached this realization, learning about how to make a bigger impact will not be particularly effective unless they are first motivated to do so. Improving their productivity or time management skills will not be particularly helpful unless they have a desire to use their time to make a positive impact. I believe that we need a more diverse range of strategies to inspire this motivation in different types of individuals. For some, learning about how to make a big impact may be sufficient, while for others, learning about why making an impact matters may be necessary as a foundation for intrinsic motivation.
I hope this helps!
Thanks for the detailed reply. So instead of informing people who value altruism about the best ways to help, we should also try to elevate the importance of altruism within people’s values. Am I understanding correctly?
Yes indeed. It is not only about providing guidance for those who already prioritize making a positive impact, but also about inspiring and fostering that desire in individuals who may not have fully considered that option. By providing people with the opportunity to think about the relevance of altruism in their own lives we might not only be able to elevate its importance within individuals’ values but also create a more motivated and well-informed group of individuals who are eager to learn about the most effective ways to make a difference.