In response to point 2 - if you see human civilization continuing to develop indefinitely without regard for other species, wouldn’t other species be all extinct, except for maybe a select few?
Bary Levy
Karma: 28
This reinforces a thought I’ve had for quite a while: the main advantage of EA is the optimism it brings, and the messaging should incorporate that optimism. “See all these problems in the world? Let’s fix them. seriously. Come join us”
Hello everyone,
My name is Bary, I’m currently recovering from a 2-year-long anxiety and depression episode, which I partly attribute to me joining EA around that time. I am really thankful for this community, and for the amazing people here that helped me recover.
I’m writing a piece for the red teaming contest about community mental health. If since joining or learning about EA, you suffered from a mental health problem, even a minor one, or felt less satisfied with your job or life, I would like to have a 1:1 with you. Feel free to ping me here, on barylevi@gmail.com, or on Discord Bary#6478
Of course, if you feel like talking about your experience can cause you distress, please pass this opportunity. I am not a mental health professional and I will not be able to help.
Don’t most dictators pass the power to their children or someone close to them anyway? And are these people not highly likely to remain dictators as well? Is it really the case that dictatorships are likely to become democracies when the dictator dies of old age? I find these are not trivial to answer.
For me, knowing my giving is effective makes me more confident to give more. Before learning about EA I never considered donating 10% of my income because I never thought it will be so helpful, and I saw charity as something I was sometimes obliged to donate small amounts to.
To me, another side of mind enhancement seems to be preventing mental illness and neurodegenerative disease. So if you’re looking to maximize your long term impact as an EA, keeping your mental health in check and living a healthy lifestyle are relatively simple interventions that might be equivalent to a certain increase in cognition for some people.
Quick thought: in some population models, in particular ones where human population peaks in the next 50-100 years and then continues declining (see Three mistakes in the moral mathematics of existential risk), there is a longtermist case to make that without life extension, the economy will not be sustainable when:
Elderly people comprise a large part of society and thus require more societal help
There are fewer people to fill niche sub-specialties
of course, a lot of things change with AGI as well, so it all depends on your timelines. I generally believe that EA doesn’t emphasize aging enough and would like to help you make the case if you’re interested.