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casebash comments on Intentional Insights and the EA Movement – Q & A - Effective Altruism Forum

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Comment author: casebash 03 January 2016 12:26:39AM 3 points [-]

I can see a lot of value of having EA concepts promoted separately from the discussion of Effective Altruism. Not everyone is going to become an EA, in fact, a surprising number of people seem to be turned off by the movement and so EA material is unlikely to reach them effectively. Having non-EA materials promoting the same ideas means that 1) they may still develop the attributes that EA wants to instil 2) some people may become more inclined towards EA after they have accepted some of its values.

Comment author: Gleb_T  (EA Profile) 03 January 2016 01:24:26AM 4 points [-]

Yup, there are a lot of people who are turned off the movement itself due to the research-based, data-driven, and philosophically-sophisticated nature of the movement. And I don't think it's a bad thing that they are turned off - we don't want people who are unable to engage well with core concepts of EA to shape the direction of the movement.

However, we can still get them to develop beneficial habits of thought and behavior. In this Huffington Post piece, I encourage specific behaviors that would get people to give effectively, with a clear and pragmatic behavior described in the very end. Imagine the impact if everyone took up that behavior pattern. How much money would go to effective charities?

Regarding some people becoming more inclined towards EA, I think it would be valuable to make sure those people are a good fit for the movement itself. It may be the case that someone who gets into effective giving may eventually come to become value aligned, but it's not necessarily the case, and it's fine if they don't.

Comment author: casebash 03 January 2016 08:48:24AM 1 point [-]

I agree that quality is more important than quantity. We need to find people who are dedicated and actually do things.