Action:

Apply the EA mindset to your existing life and communities

  • Occupation:
    Professional
  • Time commitment:
    Hours, Part-time
  • Duration:
    Short-term, Medium-term, Long-term
  • Familiarity with EA:
    Familiar, Very Familiar

Effective altruism is a young community; it didn’t even acquire its name until 2012. We’ve made lots of inroads since then, but there’s so much more that we could do. If you’re coming to effective altruism from a field that's underrepresented in the community (i.e. most things besides academic philosophy and computer science) we probably haven’t figured out how to make best use of your discipline — or even know that your discipline could be useful to EA pursuits at all.

This is where you come in. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the EA basics, cross-reference them against what people in your life and field are doing, and see where the principles might be applied beneficially. For instance, one doctor realized the relative value of his money in saving lives, so advocated to his fellow medics that they donate more thoughtfully and generously.

If you come up with synergies between effective altruism and your line of work, pilot your initiative, post about it on the relevant EA Facebook group for others to adopt. You can also share the idea in a write-up on the EA Forum. If the project is likely to require some funds, consider applying for funding from the Centre for Effective Altruism.

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