I have my responses to the question you raised: “So why do I feel inclined to double down on effective altruism rather than move onto other endeavours?”
I have doubled down a lot over the last ~1.5 years. I am not at all shy about being an EA; it is even on my LinkedIn!
This is partly because of integrity and honesty reasons. Yes, I care about animals and AI and like math and rationality and whatnot. All this is a part of who I am.
Funnily enough, a non-negligible reason why I have doubled down (and am more pro-EA than before) is the sheer quantity of not-so-good critiques. And they keep publishing them.
Another reason is because there are bizarre caricatures of EAs out there. No, we are not robotic utility maximizers. In my personal interactions, when people hopefully realize that “okay this is a just another feel-y human with a bunch of interests who happens to be vegan and feels strongly about donations.”
“I have personally benefited massively in achieving my own goals.” — I hope this experience is more common!
I feel EA/adjacent community epistemics have enormously improved my mental health and decision-making; being in the larger EA-sphere has improved my view of life; I have more agency; I am much more open to newer ideas, even those I vehemently disagree with; I am much more sympathetic to value and normative pluralism than before!
I wish more ever day EAs were louder about their EA-ness.
I agree with so much here.
I have my responses to the question you raised: “So why do I feel inclined to double down on effective altruism rather than move onto other endeavours?”
I have doubled down a lot over the last ~1.5 years. I am not at all shy about being an EA; it is even on my LinkedIn!
This is partly because of integrity and honesty reasons. Yes, I care about animals and AI and like math and rationality and whatnot. All this is a part of who I am.
Funnily enough, a non-negligible reason why I have doubled down (and am more pro-EA than before) is the sheer quantity of not-so-good critiques. And they keep publishing them.
Another reason is because there are bizarre caricatures of EAs out there. No, we are not robotic utility maximizers. In my personal interactions, when people hopefully realize that “okay this is a just another feel-y human with a bunch of interests who happens to be vegan and feels strongly about donations.”
“I have personally benefited massively in achieving my own goals.” — I hope this experience is more common!
I feel EA/adjacent community epistemics have enormously improved my mental health and decision-making; being in the larger EA-sphere has improved my view of life; I have more agency; I am much more open to newer ideas, even those I vehemently disagree with; I am much more sympathetic to value and normative pluralism than before!
I wish more ever day EAs were louder about their EA-ness.