young_opsimath ⏸️
@opsimath.bsky.social
An Effective Altruist in grad school who's interested in catastrophic risk reduction and the welfare of non-human animals.
This phenomena is especially interesting because it's a bunch of left-leaning people regurgitating precisely the same flavor of arguments that conservatives have against leftism/liberalism!
March 19, 2025 at 3:45 AM
This phenomena is especially interesting because it's a bunch of left-leaning people regurgitating precisely the same flavor of arguments that conservatives have against leftism/liberalism!
I disagree!
Ob the community rejected him, but SBF was a case that highlighted weaknesses of our community's norms. EA ideas and certain influential higher ups were at least somewhat responsible.
But with the doge kids, the evidence is super flimsy and people are just looking for a scapegoat.
Ob the community rejected him, but SBF was a case that highlighted weaknesses of our community's norms. EA ideas and certain influential higher ups were at least somewhat responsible.
But with the doge kids, the evidence is super flimsy and people are just looking for a scapegoat.
March 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I disagree!
Ob the community rejected him, but SBF was a case that highlighted weaknesses of our community's norms. EA ideas and certain influential higher ups were at least somewhat responsible.
But with the doge kids, the evidence is super flimsy and people are just looking for a scapegoat.
Ob the community rejected him, but SBF was a case that highlighted weaknesses of our community's norms. EA ideas and certain influential higher ups were at least somewhat responsible.
But with the doge kids, the evidence is super flimsy and people are just looking for a scapegoat.
Someone who was involved in an EA group during college. We don't know if he remained engaged or changed his mind or is happy following orders.
The basis on which these claims are being made is flimsy. That one post I quoted, the evidence literally is "I saw him tweet about it once."
The basis on which these claims are being made is flimsy. That one post I quoted, the evidence literally is "I saw him tweet about it once."
March 17, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Someone who was involved in an EA group during college. We don't know if he remained engaged or changed his mind or is happy following orders.
The basis on which these claims are being made is flimsy. That one post I quoted, the evidence literally is "I saw him tweet about it once."
The basis on which these claims are being made is flimsy. That one post I quoted, the evidence literally is "I saw him tweet about it once."
Yup, EAs disagree with each other a lot about prioritization across causes, like where talent and money should be allocated and how.
The voting behavior is weird, but much better than most of reddit, and magnitudes better than Bluesky.
The voting behavior is weird, but much better than most of reddit, and magnitudes better than Bluesky.
March 17, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Yup, EAs disagree with each other a lot about prioritization across causes, like where talent and money should be allocated and how.
The voting behavior is weird, but much better than most of reddit, and magnitudes better than Bluesky.
The voting behavior is weird, but much better than most of reddit, and magnitudes better than Bluesky.
Ok, maybe you perfectly know what's going on but I'm skeptical.
And I have my laundry list of complaints with EA but overall I think it's a cluster of pretty good ideas.
open.substack.com/pub/thingoft...
And I have my laundry list of complaints with EA but overall I think it's a cluster of pretty good ideas.
open.substack.com/pub/thingoft...
What Do Effective Altruists Believe
the direct opposite of a manifesto
open.substack.com
March 17, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Ok, maybe you perfectly know what's going on but I'm skeptical.
And I have my laundry list of complaints with EA but overall I think it's a cluster of pretty good ideas.
open.substack.com/pub/thingoft...
And I have my laundry list of complaints with EA but overall I think it's a cluster of pretty good ideas.
open.substack.com/pub/thingoft...
"reached me" I'm not on drugs lol
Trust me, I do a lot of self-reflection and do not take my moral convictions lightly.
I can almost guarantee that the caricature of EA you likely have in your head is different from how the movement and its adherents are in real life.
Trust me, I do a lot of self-reflection and do not take my moral convictions lightly.
I can almost guarantee that the caricature of EA you likely have in your head is different from how the movement and its adherents are in real life.
March 17, 2025 at 5:15 AM
"reached me" I'm not on drugs lol
Trust me, I do a lot of self-reflection and do not take my moral convictions lightly.
I can almost guarantee that the caricature of EA you likely have in your head is different from how the movement and its adherents are in real life.
Trust me, I do a lot of self-reflection and do not take my moral convictions lightly.
I can almost guarantee that the caricature of EA you likely have in your head is different from how the movement and its adherents are in real life.
The deeds are listed in the screenshot?
March 17, 2025 at 4:09 AM
The deeds are listed in the screenshot?
You're welcome to believe zero taxation is good, I do not think that's a good idea.
March 17, 2025 at 3:04 AM
You're welcome to believe zero taxation is good, I do not think that's a good idea.
I think you should donate that $100 via give directly as that will be much more impactful than food banks.
March 17, 2025 at 3:03 AM
I think you should donate that $100 via give directly as that will be much more impactful than food banks.
They do, actually.
March 17, 2025 at 3:01 AM
They do, actually.
On the contrary, EAs subscribe to radical empathy — we should be empathetic to people and beings despite surface level differences. See: www.openphilanthropy.org/research/rad...
In terms of GHD impact, a lot has been done for malaria, lead poisoning, air pollution, pandemic prevention, and more.
In terms of GHD impact, a lot has been done for malaria, lead poisoning, air pollution, pandemic prevention, and more.
March 17, 2025 at 3:00 AM
On the contrary, EAs subscribe to radical empathy — we should be empathetic to people and beings despite surface level differences. See: www.openphilanthropy.org/research/rad...
In terms of GHD impact, a lot has been done for malaria, lead poisoning, air pollution, pandemic prevention, and more.
In terms of GHD impact, a lot has been done for malaria, lead poisoning, air pollution, pandemic prevention, and more.
Bruh it's called fucking taxation
I was talking about taxation!!!
I was talking about taxation!!!
March 17, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Bruh it's called fucking taxation
I was talking about taxation!!!
I was talking about taxation!!!
I don't think there are any other groups of people who take prioritization of career choices or donations as seriously and actually take action on those obvious seeming ideas, so I think the community and movement are quite valuable.
March 17, 2025 at 2:55 AM
I don't think there are any other groups of people who take prioritization of career choices or donations as seriously and actually take action on those obvious seeming ideas, so I think the community and movement are quite valuable.
You are welcome to read about them, they are thoroughly vetted.
March 17, 2025 at 2:53 AM
You are welcome to read about them, they are thoroughly vetted.
Meritocracy is great because of the monetary and intellectual value we can generate.
But privilege is real, so the gains of meritocracy should be redistributed.
But privilege is real, so the gains of meritocracy should be redistributed.
March 17, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Meritocracy is great because of the monetary and intellectual value we can generate.
But privilege is real, so the gains of meritocracy should be redistributed.
But privilege is real, so the gains of meritocracy should be redistributed.
I think beneficentrism — we should dedicate some portion of our lives to helping others — which is one of the central tenets, is pretty defensible.
Another EA idea I'm happy to strongly defend impartialism (nationality, race, gender, and even species aren't determiners of moral worth of a being).
Another EA idea I'm happy to strongly defend impartialism (nationality, race, gender, and even species aren't determiners of moral worth of a being).
March 17, 2025 at 2:49 AM
I think beneficentrism — we should dedicate some portion of our lives to helping others — which is one of the central tenets, is pretty defensible.
Another EA idea I'm happy to strongly defend impartialism (nationality, race, gender, and even species aren't determiners of moral worth of a being).
Another EA idea I'm happy to strongly defend impartialism (nationality, race, gender, and even species aren't determiners of moral worth of a being).
Nope, they are not all billionaires and some of them give much more than 10%.
March 17, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Nope, they are not all billionaires and some of them give much more than 10%.
50% of EAs are undergrad and grad students. We are not that rich.
March 17, 2025 at 2:40 AM
50% of EAs are undergrad and grad students. We are not that rich.
EA doesn't say "do whatever."
Here's an EA org that does direct cash transfers to the poorest people in the world so that they can buy food or blankets or whatever necessities they do not possess.
www.givedirectly.org
Here's an EA org that does direct cash transfers to the poorest people in the world so that they can buy food or blankets or whatever necessities they do not possess.
www.givedirectly.org
GiveDirectly: Send money to people living in poverty
GiveDirectly allows donors to send money directly to people in poverty with no strings attached. Our approach is guided by rigorous evidence of impact and our values of efficiency, transparency, and r...
www.givedirectly.org
March 17, 2025 at 2:38 AM
EA doesn't say "do whatever."
Here's an EA org that does direct cash transfers to the poorest people in the world so that they can buy food or blankets or whatever necessities they do not possess.
www.givedirectly.org
Here's an EA org that does direct cash transfers to the poorest people in the world so that they can buy food or blankets or whatever necessities they do not possess.
www.givedirectly.org
Most EAs don't practice earning to give, direct impact work is much more highly valued.
EAs who do practice earning to give are not Uber rich. Some of them are people who earn regular salaries but manage to donate 10%.
Carbon offsets are bullshit, no one donates to that.
EAs who do practice earning to give are not Uber rich. Some of them are people who earn regular salaries but manage to donate 10%.
Carbon offsets are bullshit, no one donates to that.
March 17, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Most EAs don't practice earning to give, direct impact work is much more highly valued.
EAs who do practice earning to give are not Uber rich. Some of them are people who earn regular salaries but manage to donate 10%.
Carbon offsets are bullshit, no one donates to that.
EAs who do practice earning to give are not Uber rich. Some of them are people who earn regular salaries but manage to donate 10%.
Carbon offsets are bullshit, no one donates to that.