There could totally be truth to both of these points. I would add a third that the EA community is insular, and attracts a particular kind of person that tends to be frustrated / turned off by things like bureaucracy and process. I suspect there’s a cultural bias (which I share! to be clear) against ideas like going as a diplomat to huge frustrating conventions every year full of irrational people parroting doublespeak, even if those conventions represent opportunity to do good. Much more appealing to go work in an AI lab, make a bunch of money, and have friends who also grew up reading LessWrong.
There could totally be truth to both of these points. I would add a third that the EA community is insular, and attracts a particular kind of person that tends to be frustrated / turned off by things like bureaucracy and process. I suspect there’s a cultural bias (which I share! to be clear) against ideas like going as a diplomat to huge frustrating conventions every year full of irrational people parroting doublespeak, even if those conventions represent opportunity to do good. Much more appealing to go work in an AI lab, make a bunch of money, and have friends who also grew up reading LessWrong.