I have seen a few people in EA burn out at jobs they dislike because they feel too much pressure and don’t prioritize themselves at all, and I’ve seen several people trying to find work in AI safety because it’s the only effective thing to do on the issue that they were told was most important, despite not enjoying it. Neither of those is as extreme as the notional example, but both seem to be due to this class of reasoning.
I have seen a few people in EA burn out at jobs they dislike because they feel too much pressure and don’t prioritize themselves at all, and I’ve seen several people trying to find work in AI safety because it’s the only effective thing to do on the issue that they were told was most important, despite not enjoying it. Neither of those is as extreme as the notional example, but both seem to be due to this class of reasoning.