When I was young I felt like “Gosh! When I’m older and have a job, I really should use my power as a globally rich person to help those who are much less well off, because that’s obviously morally obligatory and this Peter Singer guy makes sense.”
When I read Slate Star Codex’s “Everything is Commensurable” I thought “Oh right, I suppose now’s the time for that, I have more money than I need, and 10% seems about right.”
It felt satisfying to be doing something definitive, to have an ironclad excuse for not freaking out about whatever the issue of the day is. “I’m doing my part, anyway.”
Then I learned there was a community, was dazzled by how impressive they all were, overjoyed that they wanted to welcome me, and had a strong emotional reaction to want to be a part of it. It was more excitement about the people than the projects. They felt very much like “my people.”
Now I don’t feel much of anything about it (maybe a touch of pride or annoyance about losing so much money), but I still give my 10% to AMF monthly, and I don’t plan to stop, so I guess the earlier surges of emotions did their job.
When I was young I felt like “Gosh! When I’m older and have a job, I really should use my power as a globally rich person to help those who are much less well off, because that’s obviously morally obligatory and this Peter Singer guy makes sense.”
When I read Slate Star Codex’s “Everything is Commensurable” I thought “Oh right, I suppose now’s the time for that, I have more money than I need, and 10% seems about right.”
It felt satisfying to be doing something definitive, to have an ironclad excuse for not freaking out about whatever the issue of the day is. “I’m doing my part, anyway.”
Then I learned there was a community, was dazzled by how impressive they all were, overjoyed that they wanted to welcome me, and had a strong emotional reaction to want to be a part of it. It was more excitement about the people than the projects. They felt very much like “my people.”
Now I don’t feel much of anything about it (maybe a touch of pride or annoyance about losing so much money), but I still give my 10% to AMF monthly, and I don’t plan to stop, so I guess the earlier surges of emotions did their job.