Executive summary: Altruistic perfectionism and moral over-demandingness can lead to burnout, and adopting sustainable, compassionate practices—like setting boundaries, prioritizing workability, and recognizing oneself as morally valuable—can help EAs remain effective and fulfilled over the long term.
Key points:
Altruistic perfectionism and moral demandingness can cause burnout when people feel they must do “enough” to an unsustainable degree.
Workability emphasizes choosing sustainable actions over maximally demanding ones, even if that means doing less now to maintain long-term impact.
Viewing altruism as a choice rather than an obligation—and counting yourself as a morally relevant being—can help reduce guilt and pressure.
Universalizability suggests adopting standards you’d want others to follow; extreme personal sacrifice can discourage others from engaging.
Boundaries (like donation caps, self-care routines, and happiness budgets) help prevent compassion fatigue and moral licensing.
Local volunteer work and therapy are practical tools for maintaining motivation and psychological well-being, with techniques like celebrating progress and embracing internal multiplicity.
The post argues for a shift from self-critical thoughts to self-compassion, emphasizing that doing good should also feel good and be sustainable.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: Altruistic perfectionism and moral over-demandingness can lead to burnout, and adopting sustainable, compassionate practices—like setting boundaries, prioritizing workability, and recognizing oneself as morally valuable—can help EAs remain effective and fulfilled over the long term.
Key points:
Altruistic perfectionism and moral demandingness can cause burnout when people feel they must do “enough” to an unsustainable degree.
Workability emphasizes choosing sustainable actions over maximally demanding ones, even if that means doing less now to maintain long-term impact.
Viewing altruism as a choice rather than an obligation—and counting yourself as a morally relevant being—can help reduce guilt and pressure.
Universalizability suggests adopting standards you’d want others to follow; extreme personal sacrifice can discourage others from engaging.
Boundaries (like donation caps, self-care routines, and happiness budgets) help prevent compassion fatigue and moral licensing.
Local volunteer work and therapy are practical tools for maintaining motivation and psychological well-being, with techniques like celebrating progress and embracing internal multiplicity.
The post argues for a shift from self-critical thoughts to self-compassion, emphasizing that doing good should also feel good and be sustainable.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.