This is the story of how I found my way to EA, because it really came from trying to solve a contradiction in my own head.
For some time, I was deeply invested in Ayn Rand’s philosophy. I admired the focus on reason so much that I became a student at the Ayn Rand Institute. I truly believed in the power of the individual. But the part I could never accept was the idea that altruism was a weakness or a vice. It felt like there had to be a way to be rational and an individual, and still care deeply about the welfare of others.
The answer, came to me in 2022 through Toby Ord’s The Precipice. That book changed everything for me. It showed me that effective altruism isn’t the opposite of reason—it’s the application of it. It’s about taking that same rational mindset and applying it to the biggest, most important problems we face.
A good friend, encouraged me to apply for EAGxNigeria, and I’m so glad I listened. Actually meeting other people in Nigeria who were thinking about these same things, and were so driven to act on them, was an incredibly powerful experience. It took the ideas from the page and put them into a living, breathing community.
So, that’s me. I came here from a place that seems like the total opposite of EA, but the journey makes perfect sense to me now.
Hi E Altruists,
This is the story of how I found my way to EA, because it really came from trying to solve a contradiction in my own head.
For some time, I was deeply invested in Ayn Rand’s philosophy. I admired the focus on reason so much that I became a student at the Ayn Rand Institute. I truly believed in the power of the individual. But the part I could never accept was the idea that altruism was a weakness or a vice. It felt like there had to be a way to be rational and an individual, and still care deeply about the welfare of others.
The answer, came to me in 2022 through Toby Ord’s The Precipice. That book changed everything for me. It showed me that effective altruism isn’t the opposite of reason—it’s the application of it. It’s about taking that same rational mindset and applying it to the biggest, most important problems we face.
A good friend, encouraged me to apply for EAGxNigeria, and I’m so glad I listened. Actually meeting other people in Nigeria who were thinking about these same things, and were so driven to act on them, was an incredibly powerful experience. It took the ideas from the page and put them into a living, breathing community.
So, that’s me. I came here from a place that seems like the total opposite of EA, but the journey makes perfect sense to me now.