It is very important to have spaces that are comfortable for everyone, but there is a related point which IMO is even more important.
The EA movement is currently dominated by young people, which is natural for a new ideology. However, in order to make the transition from ideology to community and surviving in the long run, it is essential to start attracting and/or creating EA families. The family is the core unit of any community and the best way to ensure transmission of values to the next generation.
It’s certainly true that lots of groups transmit their ideas largely through families, but others don’t rely primarily on families (vegetarianism, or political parties, or academic departments). I wouldn’t want to put too strong a pressure on children to adhere to my ideas, particularly since that might backfire and cause them to reject the ideas entirely.
I don’t know enough about the vegetarian community but I think that it grew so much recently that it might be considered a young movement, like EA (it is also a related movement, obviously). Political opinions definitely seem to be transmitted from parent to child, at least from my experience. It is true that there are “teenage rebellions” but I think that the opposite is more common. Academic ideas are often very narrow-field and of little interest to the wide public so a different approach is natural.
I’m not planning to put pressure on my son either. But I’m definitely planning to expose him to my own worldview. My hope is that if I provide him with the requisite intellectual tools and expose him to knowledge, there is a good chance he will adopt a large part of my worldview. After all, in a sufficiently rational mind truth should triumph over falsehood and if my ideas are not truth then let them perish.
Great post!
It is very important to have spaces that are comfortable for everyone, but there is a related point which IMO is even more important.
The EA movement is currently dominated by young people, which is natural for a new ideology. However, in order to make the transition from ideology to community and surviving in the long run, it is essential to start attracting and/or creating EA families. The family is the core unit of any community and the best way to ensure transmission of values to the next generation.
It’s certainly true that lots of groups transmit their ideas largely through families, but others don’t rely primarily on families (vegetarianism, or political parties, or academic departments). I wouldn’t want to put too strong a pressure on children to adhere to my ideas, particularly since that might backfire and cause them to reject the ideas entirely.
Hi Julia, thx for replying!
I don’t know enough about the vegetarian community but I think that it grew so much recently that it might be considered a young movement, like EA (it is also a related movement, obviously). Political opinions definitely seem to be transmitted from parent to child, at least from my experience. It is true that there are “teenage rebellions” but I think that the opposite is more common. Academic ideas are often very narrow-field and of little interest to the wide public so a different approach is natural.
I’m not planning to put pressure on my son either. But I’m definitely planning to expose him to my own worldview. My hope is that if I provide him with the requisite intellectual tools and expose him to knowledge, there is a good chance he will adopt a large part of my worldview. After all, in a sufficiently rational mind truth should triumph over falsehood and if my ideas are not truth then let them perish.