My first year in Effective Altruism
First of all, I would like to say this is not a complaint, and also not a compliment (but it could be). This is just an outflow; I hope some may feel represented, because I really feel a little bit overwhelmed and wanted to share these thoughts and see if someone felt like this in their first year as an Effective Altruist.
It’s kind of sad to me that I’ve never made a post here in the forum, and my first one is a vent, but here we go.
There are so many interesting things to read that I’m pretty sure I won’t have the lifetime to go through most of them. There are a lot of books, articles, and blogs on how to really change the world for good. Sometimes I just want to absorb everything quicker, but not in an AI kind of way—I don’t want someone else’s perspective of the reading; I want mine all the way. There’s something about Effective Altruism readings that, every time I’m about to open a link and it says “~20 min read,” I know I’m going to spend a lot longer on it, with at least 15 new links popping up in the meantime. Sometimes I get lost and don’t even remember where I started. Why? It’s pretty simple: everything is SO interesting—knowing and understanding more about the world and its problems, why everything happens in a certain way, how to prevent or talk about something. It’s mind-blowing, and I want to learn as much as I can so I can spread this knowledge that is life-changing (kind of like how viruses spread).
I mean… I just opened one “~20 min reading” link, I’m on the 5th paragraph, and I already opened my 3rd consecutive recommended link through the reading, and it has a total of 333 essays… How can you guys do this? Honestly?!
I just made an EA folder so I can save all the links to read later, and I really hope I give them some attention in the future—even if I don’t actually do that with other folders. Sometimes I go back and discover really interesting, useful links I saved for my future self.
I honestly think this reading is like studying. But it doesn’t feel like studying; it feels like a hobby I just recently learned can also be a job. And it feels just as interesting as my “romantasy” books I used to read when I was bored. It doesn’t feel like the mandatory everyday reading at school.
When I first discovered Effective Altruism, I had a few small causes in mind. I didn’t know how to make a difference, and I actually thought I was crazy for wanting to (maybe I still am?). I didn’t even know Nuclear War was still “a thing.” I thought it was lost in history and that no humane human would ever do something like that since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong about everything. I actually think the only thing I got right was Animal Welfare, since I was already vegan before I met EA, but anyway.
I’m happy I met this community; I don’t feel crazy anymore for wanting to change things I see as morally wrong. Maybe we’re all a little crazy to go against the mass/system, but I’m so happy about that.
I don’t remember exactly how I first found or got introduced to EA last year, but I am SO grateful I did. It gave me hope, and more than that, it gave me a life purpose I didn’t have anymore. And that’s more than I could have hoped and asked for.
I’m glad EA has given you feelings of hope and purpose—I really resonate with that experience. I also resonate with sometimes feeling overwhelmed with all the things to read and do.
Some musings came to mind when I read your post. I don’t know if they’ll resonate with you, but sharing just in case it’s helpful.
1) When I’m feeling like that I sometimes think about the starfish parable mentioned here. There are an overwhelming number of starfish, but I’m doing my best to try and get some back into the sea, ideally as many as I can, knowing I’ll never save them all. That sometimes helps me get out of overwhelm/ paralysis.
2) Staying in metaphor land, I think it’s also worth saying that while I can’t save all the starfish, I can save more if I start sooner, rather than spending too long reading about how to throw. I think I used to feel like I didn’t know enough, that I could never catch up, but that I needed to catch up before I could do important work. It might be worth checking in with yourself about what you’re reading for pleasure / interest, and what you’re reading in your pursuit of impact. They certainly aren’t always mutually exclusive, and it is good to be well informed before you take certain actions, but try to figure out what what knowledge you need, to prioritise obtaining in order to take some next steps towards impact.
Yes, thank you so much for your comment! Because I’m still in my first year, I’m allowing myself to explore various topics to figure out what I truly want to focus on. The In-Depth program, which I’m currently in the third week of, has been incredibly helpful, and I feel like I’m getting closer every day to finding my area of focus.
In addition, the career-planning program I’m involved in has been a great way to learn more about myself and how I can direct my skills toward a high-impact career. Although I have considerable knowledge about animal welfare, I feel a strong calling to expand the Effective Altruism community. I would love for more people to access the information I gained when I first discovered EA, and I think focusing on community-building might lead to a greater impact. I’m still studying all the possibilities while taking action, so it’s a process of learning and doing at the same time.
That said, I’m not just studying—I’m working part-time at a company committed to transitioning Peru’s egg industry to cage-free and raising public awareness about it. I’m also an active volunteer, dedicating a lot of my time to organizations like Mercy For Animals, Sea Shepherd Brasil, and Sinergia Animal, and I share my activism through posts on LinkedIn.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts; they really resonate with me, and I appreciate your support!
You are definitly not the only person who has too much to read. My want to read list grows much faster than my ability to read: books, internet blog posts, academic papers, YouTube lectures… I read lots and I still can’t keep up! I found it helpful to keep a list (a spreadsheet, actually), and then I can prioritize things a bit better. But you definitly don’t have to read everything to “be a part of the club.” I also remind myself that it is a marathon, not a sprint.