I was raised in northeast England by very community-oriented parents. They were always thinking about how they could help people, both through volunteering and their careers. Now I live in Amsterdam, where I've spent the last three years working full-time to help people in the Netherlands find the best ways to help others with their time, money, and skills.
Before I discovered effective altruism, I was wrestling with two major struggles. First, I was nearing the end of my philosophy studies with no idea what I was going to do with my career. Even worse, I'd studied philosophy so no one else knew what I should do either! My second struggle was feeling overwhelmed by all the issues in the world. I often wondered what I could realistically accomplish as an individual. I focused on trying to be a good citizen and a good neighbor, but I wanted to be more confident that I was actually making a difference.
One night, I was up late procrastinating and googled, "how to have the most impact with your career." The magic of search engine optimization delivered the 80,000 Hours website, and I found the research and advice it shared really convincing. It provided me with a framework for thinking about how to use my career to help others.
"I needed a group of people who were thinking like this."
Soon after, I read Peter Singer's book, The Life You Can Save, which I found really empowering and exciting. I realized that by optimizing my donations, I could bring about more good than I'd previously known was possible.
One of the best skills EA has given me is the ability to prioritize. I don't know if all philosophy students are prone to analysis paralysis, but that was certainly the case for me. Encountering a community that knows how to optimize and prioritize has been really useful and even liberating.
Now, as co-director of Effective Altruism Netherlands, I focus on building community through events like EAGx Amsterdam. Local groups are vital for introducing people to EA principles, and I try to create a supportive environment where people can test ideas, make friends, and find their own path to impact.
For anyone curious about effective altruism, my advice is simple:
find out what's happening in your area. Take a course with your local group or attend a local meet-up. In the space of 15 years, EA has grown into a global movement that has made huge strides in addressing many of the world's most pressing problems and has fundamentally changed how people think about doing good. I think it's one of the most exciting social movements in the world.
