This is true, and in our EA group, we are establishing an outreach model to attract them. So far here’s why they don’t get involved:
Mood at EA event is very young and excited, and connecting is harder for older people since they have different interests/lifestyles (not everyone can ‘optimize’ each step of their lives when they have kids and such). Communication norms are also different.
Career opportunities are much harder to find and grasp for experienced people: it’s not as easy to go three months do a fellowship somewhere and leave your family behind, or change countries to find the perfect job because there are few effective opportunities in your country. We’re improving that by working on a mapping of EA-likeminded institutions, but it’s nascent work, not that supported by 80k.
Many feel that their experience isn’t valued and appreciated by EA members, when it’s often a contest of who has read this and that but not so much learning from experienced members.
So yeah, as long as EA won’t have a clear strategy of cooperation with other institutions (for example, the UN is often discarded efficiency-wise, but no good research proves this!), and as long as behavioural norms won’t change, it”s going to be hard. We trying to reach a tipping point of 25% of experienced people for the mood to change, but it’s hard.
Interesting to read! What is your EA group called? And what constitutes the “experienced people” you mention—do you use some kind of benchmark or criterium?
Fair to point out that the mood (“vibes”) and communication norms should be adjusted in order to accommodate older people.
I’d love to see the result of your mapping efforts!
Yeah, it’s exactly this that I’d like to change—for making impact to become more accessible.
This is true, and in our EA group, we are establishing an outreach model to attract them. So far here’s why they don’t get involved:
Mood at EA event is very young and excited, and connecting is harder for older people since they have different interests/lifestyles (not everyone can ‘optimize’ each step of their lives when they have kids and such). Communication norms are also different.
Career opportunities are much harder to find and grasp for experienced people: it’s not as easy to go three months do a fellowship somewhere and leave your family behind, or change countries to find the perfect job because there are few effective opportunities in your country. We’re improving that by working on a mapping of EA-likeminded institutions, but it’s nascent work, not that supported by 80k.
Many feel that their experience isn’t valued and appreciated by EA members, when it’s often a contest of who has read this and that but not so much learning from experienced members.
So yeah, as long as EA won’t have a clear strategy of cooperation with other institutions (for example, the UN is often discarded efficiency-wise, but no good research proves this!), and as long as behavioural norms won’t change, it”s going to be hard. We trying to reach a tipping point of 25% of experienced people for the mood to change, but it’s hard.
Interesting to read! What is your EA group called? And what constitutes the “experienced people” you mention—do you use some kind of benchmark or criterium?
Fair to point out that the mood (“vibes”) and communication norms should be adjusted in order to accommodate older people.
I’d love to see the result of your mapping efforts!
Yeah, it’s exactly this that I’d like to change—for making impact to become more accessible.