I think the sex stuff (can’t believe it’s still being discussed on X) is a large part of the appeal for many active in EA. I don’t mean that many encounter it primarily for sex (anecdotally, don’t know the data on this, it seems to be 80k hours events at universities that attract people), yet it’s a signal of a community willing to question the merits of dogma. Much of the appeal of EA, and utilitarian frameworks more broadly, is precisely in resisting socially dominant superstitions that are not backed by reason. I feel more comfortable in a community that accepts polycules than shuns it. I think many of us think the same too.
All too often, I see people reject societal norms as “socially dominant superstitions” only to later find out that those norms were there for a damn good reason. I might point here to SBF’s maverick way of running a business, that later turned out to be a symptom of widescale fraud. A similarly cavalier attitude toward sexual norms can cause real harm. I have no issue with polyamory or orgies or whatever is going on in principle, but combine it with conflicts of interests and large power imbalances and things can go pretty badly.
I think the sex stuff (can’t believe it’s still being discussed on X) is a large part of the appeal for many active in EA. I don’t mean that many encounter it primarily for sex (anecdotally, don’t know the data on this, it seems to be 80k hours events at universities that attract people), yet it’s a signal of a community willing to question the merits of dogma. Much of the appeal of EA, and utilitarian frameworks more broadly, is precisely in resisting socially dominant superstitions that are not backed by reason. I feel more comfortable in a community that accepts polycules than shuns it. I think many of us think the same too.
All too often, I see people reject societal norms as “socially dominant superstitions” only to later find out that those norms were there for a damn good reason. I might point here to SBF’s maverick way of running a business, that later turned out to be a symptom of widescale fraud. A similarly cavalier attitude toward sexual norms can cause real harm. I have no issue with polyamory or orgies or whatever is going on in principle, but combine it with conflicts of interests and large power imbalances and things can go pretty badly.