I worried that pursuing an academic career wouldn’t be that impactful, but I wasn't quite sure what else to do. Now I spend half my time as Head of Community at Effective Altruism Australia and half my time as a Program and Philanthropy contractor at Farm Animal Funders, where I support donors in the farm animal advocacy space.
I did a postgraduate degree in social psychology and was enamored with the scientific method. I was trying to figure out how I could take my research skills and do something in Melbourne that would do good in the world, while also paying the bills.
My motivation to help others came from attending a Jewish youth group that was a bit like the scouts, but more values-driven. That was where I first came across the ideas of effective altruism. Looking back, I think that group gave me the motivation and the drive to do good, but not necessarily the tools.
Later, I saw Peter Singer give various talks in Melbourne where he made the case for GiveWell and the good you can do with your donations. At one of his events in 2015, someone mentioned an effective altruism conference that was happening in a few weeks. I decided to go on a bit of a whim, and the community I discovered transformed my understanding of what effective altruism looks like in action.
“I value the combination of moral seriousness, scope sensitivity, and being agentic that effective altruism inspires. There's something powerful about really taking suffering seriously and then actually doing something about it.”
Now, the fact that I work in farm animal advocacy is a reflection of my principles. In the past, I worked at organizations where people just hope that the work they're doing is good and keep on that track. I value that effective altruism encourages me to step back and ask: Are we going in the right direction? Are we actually doing the good that we think we are?
My whole social circle, career path, and daily experiences would have been completely different without effective altruism. For me, it's not just about the ideas, but about where those ideas can take your whole life.
"To me, effective altruism is both a community and an intellectual project focused on how to do good in the world."
There are three things I'd recommend to someone curious about effective altruism. First, spend some time exploring these ideas that aren't discussed much in other spaces. Second, if you want to dig in further, find people to do it with, whether it's in person or online. You bounce ideas off of each other, and you learn from each other too.
Finally, accept the things you find compelling about effective altruism and reject the things you don't. If you engage with every claim earnestly and with curiosity, you'll figure it out for yourself along the way.
