I wanted to write something similar. I saved up the money that I donated by buying cheaper food and living in cheaper places. It all felt a bit pointless when I saw that the orgs that I donated to spend some of that money on fancy offices in expensive areas. But if I remember correctly, it wasn’t a big deal as I continued donating to them. I thought that from an utilitarian POV it could be the right decision on their part.
I also want to say that I’m not sure that I now enjoy my job as a researcher at an EA org more than I enjoyed earning to give as a programmer. I thought that doing something directly meaningful would be much more enjoyable and make me more motivated day-to-day, but it’s not happening. I think that what matters more (at least for me) is the nature of the task and whether it’s easy to get into a flow.
As for social status, I always felt that even in EA circles (e.g. at EA Globals) it mostly depends on how charismatic/socially smooth you are and that what you do for a living has little impact on it. Maybe it’s different in places other than the UK, I don’t know. I guess I’m saying all these things because I want to show earning-to-givers that the other side might not be as glamorous as it can seem.
I wanted to write something similar. I saved up the money that I donated by buying cheaper food and living in cheaper places. It all felt a bit pointless when I saw that the orgs that I donated to spend some of that money on fancy offices in expensive areas. But if I remember correctly, it wasn’t a big deal as I continued donating to them. I thought that from an utilitarian POV it could be the right decision on their part.
I also want to say that I’m not sure that I now enjoy my job as a researcher at an EA org more than I enjoyed earning to give as a programmer. I thought that doing something directly meaningful would be much more enjoyable and make me more motivated day-to-day, but it’s not happening. I think that what matters more (at least for me) is the nature of the task and whether it’s easy to get into a flow.
As for social status, I always felt that even in EA circles (e.g. at EA Globals) it mostly depends on how charismatic/socially smooth you are and that what you do for a living has little impact on it. Maybe it’s different in places other than the UK, I don’t know. I guess I’m saying all these things because I want to show earning-to-givers that the other side might not be as glamorous as it can seem.