I think it’s probably bad to fake participation. It’s going to affect your underlying moral compass which will set you up badly for the future. There’s a (fascinating) whole section on this on the 80,000 hours website about how ultilitarians might think about “for the greater good” kinds of justifications: https://80000hours.org/articles/harmful-career/
However, if you are actually volunteering, I don’t think it’s bad to put that down, even if you’re not doing something super “official”. So if you do find yourself writing any cards for the military (or for Amnesty International), you can log it!
I also sympathise with the feelings you have to be doing something, even if you can’t really afford to be doing anything right now. I recommend you have a chat to any EAs you know personally about that—it’s a common feeling, and talking to others about it can help you feel less alone.
I think it’s probably bad to fake participation. It’s going to affect your underlying moral compass which will set you up badly for the future. There’s a (fascinating) whole section on this on the 80,000 hours website about how ultilitarians might think about “for the greater good” kinds of justifications: https://80000hours.org/articles/harmful-career/
However, if you are actually volunteering, I don’t think it’s bad to put that down, even if you’re not doing something super “official”. So if you do find yourself writing any cards for the military (or for Amnesty International), you can log it!
I also sympathise with the feelings you have to be doing something, even if you can’t really afford to be doing anything right now. I recommend you have a chat to any EAs you know personally about that—it’s a common feeling, and talking to others about it can help you feel less alone.