Another possible story, which could underpin some efforts along the lines of patient altruism /â punting to the future: âThere will probably be key actions that need taking in the coming decades, centuries, or millennia, which will have a huge influence over the whole rest of the future. There are some potential ways to set up future people to take those actions better in expectation, yet very few people are thinking strategically and working intensely on doing that. So thatâs probably the best thing we can do right now.â
Those âpotential waysâ of punting to the future could be things like building a community of people with good values and epistemics or increasing the expected future wealth or influence of such people.
And this story could involve thinking there will be a future time thatâs much âhigher leverageâ /â more âhingeyâ /â more âinfluentialâ, or thinking that there are larger returns to some ways of âpunting to the futureâ, or both.
Another possible story, which could underpin some efforts along the lines of patient altruism /â punting to the future: âThere will probably be key actions that need taking in the coming decades, centuries, or millennia, which will have a huge influence over the whole rest of the future. There are some potential ways to set up future people to take those actions better in expectation, yet very few people are thinking strategically and working intensely on doing that. So thatâs probably the best thing we can do right now.â
Those âpotential waysâ of punting to the future could be things like building a community of people with good values and epistemics or increasing the expected future wealth or influence of such people.
And this story could involve thinking there will be a future time thatâs much âhigher leverageâ /â more âhingeyâ /â more âinfluentialâ, or thinking that there are larger returns to some ways of âpunting to the futureâ, or both.
(See also.)
(Personally, I find this sort of story at least plausible, and it influences me somewhat.)