That is a good point and an untested assumption behind my hesitation to “fully endorse truth-seeking in EA”. That said, I would be surprised if all EAs, or even a majority, did everything they do and believed everything they believed due to a rational process. I mean I myself am not like that, even though truth-seeking is kind of a basic passion of mine. For example, I picked up some hobby because I randomly bumped into it. I have not really investigated if that is the optimal hobby given my life goals even though I spend considerable time and money on it. I guess I am to some degree harping on the “maximization is perilous” commentary that others have made before me, in more detail and more eloquently.
I think the modest amounts of upvotes and agree votes might be an indication that this “not being truth-seeking in all parts of my life” attitude is at least not totally infrequent in EA. Religion is just one example, I can think of many more, perhaps more relevant but it’s a bit of a minefield—again, truth-seeking can be pretty painful!
I am not super confident about all this though, I made my comments more in case what I am outlining is true, and then for people to know that they are welcome by at least some people in the EA community as long as they are truth-seeking where it matters and that areas they are not investigating deeply does not too negatively affect having the biggest possible impact we could have.
Yeah that was a bad example/analogy. Not sure if helpful but here is what GPT suggested as a better example/response, building on what I previously wrote:
”I understand your concern about over-analyzing hobbies, which indeed might not involve significant truth claims. To clarify, my point was more about the balance between being truth-seeking and pragmatic, especially in non-critical areas.
To illustrate this, consider an example from within the EA community where balancing truth-seeking and practicality is crucial: the implementation of malaria bed net distribution programs. Suppose an EA working in global health is a devout Christian and often interacts with communities where religious beliefs play a significant role. If the EA were required to frequently challenge their faith publicly within the EA community, it might alienate them and reduce their effectiveness in these communities.
This situation demonstrates that while truth-seeking is vital, it should be context-sensitive. In this case, the EA’s religious belief doesn’t hinder their professional work or the efficacy of the malaria program. Instead, their faith might help build trust with local communities, enhancing the program’s impact.
Thus, the key takeaway is that truth-seeking should be applied where it significantly impacts our goals and effectiveness. In less critical areas, like personal hobbies or certain beliefs, it might be more pragmatic to allow some flexibility. This approach helps maintain inclusivity and harnesses the diverse strengths of our community members without compromising on our core values and objectives.”
That is a good point and an untested assumption behind my hesitation to “fully endorse truth-seeking in EA”. That said, I would be surprised if all EAs, or even a majority, did everything they do and believed everything they believed due to a rational process. I mean I myself am not like that, even though truth-seeking is kind of a basic passion of mine. For example, I picked up some hobby because I randomly bumped into it. I have not really investigated if that is the optimal hobby given my life goals even though I spend considerable time and money on it. I guess I am to some degree harping on the “maximization is perilous” commentary that others have made before me, in more detail and more eloquently.
I think the modest amounts of upvotes and agree votes might be an indication that this “not being truth-seeking in all parts of my life” attitude is at least not totally infrequent in EA. Religion is just one example, I can think of many more, perhaps more relevant but it’s a bit of a minefield—again, truth-seeking can be pretty painful!
I am not super confident about all this though, I made my comments more in case what I am outlining is true, and then for people to know that they are welcome by at least some people in the EA community as long as they are truth-seeking where it matters and that areas they are not investigating deeply does not too negatively affect having the biggest possible impact we could have.
I don’t think being truth-seeking means you need to over-analyse your hobbies—most hobbies don’t really involve truth claims
Yeah that was a bad example/analogy. Not sure if helpful but here is what GPT suggested as a better example/response, building on what I previously wrote:
”I understand your concern about over-analyzing hobbies, which indeed might not involve significant truth claims. To clarify, my point was more about the balance between being truth-seeking and pragmatic, especially in non-critical areas.
To illustrate this, consider an example from within the EA community where balancing truth-seeking and practicality is crucial: the implementation of malaria bed net distribution programs. Suppose an EA working in global health is a devout Christian and often interacts with communities where religious beliefs play a significant role. If the EA were required to frequently challenge their faith publicly within the EA community, it might alienate them and reduce their effectiveness in these communities.
This situation demonstrates that while truth-seeking is vital, it should be context-sensitive. In this case, the EA’s religious belief doesn’t hinder their professional work or the efficacy of the malaria program. Instead, their faith might help build trust with local communities, enhancing the program’s impact.
Thus, the key takeaway is that truth-seeking should be applied where it significantly impacts our goals and effectiveness. In less critical areas, like personal hobbies or certain beliefs, it might be more pragmatic to allow some flexibility. This approach helps maintain inclusivity and harnesses the diverse strengths of our community members without compromising on our core values and objectives.”