1 Effectiveness Mindset

Key Points

Scope Sensitivity
- Quantity matters. Saving ten lives is more important than saving one, and saving a billion lives is a lot more important than saving ten.
Trade-offs
- Because we have limited resources, we need to prioritize different ways to improve the world. In order to do the most good.
Truth matters
- Scout Mindset: We’ll be better able to help others if we’re working together to find the truth, rather than trying to defend our own ideas.
- Scientific evidence allows us to quantify the outcomes of different interventions and allows us to make better decisions
Opportunity
- We have outstanding opportunities to do good available to us.

What is EA?

What distinguishes the EA movement from the traditional Altruist movement?
- What would be different with no EA movement? Would there be more pain?
- Do EAs follow the EA principles perfectly?
What is the core question or principle of EA?

Scope Sensitivity - Is more better?

Exercise
- Suppose you have been given 100,000 to spend. 'Charity A' will save lives for 20,000 each, while 'Charity B' will save lives for 10,000 each.
- How much would you give to Charity A and how much to Charity B? Why?
- What are morally-good reasons why one would donate to 'Charity A'?

Why does Scope Sensitivity matter?
- What negative impact results from not recognizing and following Scope Sensitivity?
How to relate to Scope Sensitivity?
- How to overcome Scope Insensitivity
- How do emotions or personal relations, weigh against evidence when making moral decision?

Prioritization - Is it good?

Are we (you & me, everyone) in a similar situation as the person donating, in the sense that due to our limited resources (e.g., time, money) we prioritize one over the other and this has consequences for the world?
- Are there actual examples of organizations, governance, etc. that use prioritization?
- In what ways are we responsible for what happens in the world?
- Are we in a decision to help many, a few, none? Do we have a great opportunity or Tragedy?
- Is being passive an action?

Truth Seeking

What’s a time in your life when you found yourself defending your ideas instead of working with someone else to find the truth? Any reflections on that experience?
When is a time in your life when you were actively trying to figure out the truth together with other(s)? Any reflections on that experience?
What tools (if any) presented in the readings for reasoning clearly did you find most useful?

Taking Ideas Seriously

What do the ideas imply, if taken seriously?
- How could they impact your actions?
- How could they impact society's actions?

Last updated 1 year ago

Key Points

Scope Sensitivity
- Quantity matters. Saving ten lives is more important than saving one, and saving a billion lives is a lot more important than saving ten.
Trade-offs
- Because we have limited resources, we need to prioritize different ways to improve the world. In order to do the most good.
Truth matters
- Scout Mindset: We’ll be better able to help others if we’re working together to find the truth, rather than trying to defend our own ideas.
- Scientific evidence allows us to quantify the outcomes of different interventions and allows us to make better decisions
Opportunity
- We have outstanding opportunities to do good available to us.

What is EA?

What distinguishes the EA movement from the traditional Altruist movement?
- What would be different with no EA movement? Would there be more pain?
- Do EAs follow the EA principles perfectly?
What is the core question or principle of EA?

Scope Sensitivity - Is more better?

Exercise
- Suppose you have been given 100,000 to spend. 'Charity A' will save lives for 20,000 each, while 'Charity B' will save lives for 10,000 each.
- How much would you give to Charity A and how much to Charity B? Why?
- What are morally-good reasons why one would donate to 'Charity A'?

Why does Scope Sensitivity matter?
- What negative impact results from not recognizing and following Scope Sensitivity?
How to relate to Scope Sensitivity?
- How to overcome Scope Insensitivity
- How do emotions or personal relations, weigh against evidence when making moral decision?

Prioritization - Is it good?

Are we (you & me, everyone) in a similar situation as the person donating, in the sense that due to our limited resources (e.g., time, money) we prioritize one over the other and this has consequences for the world?
- Are there actual examples of organizations, governance, etc. that use prioritization?
- In what ways are we responsible for what happens in the world?
- Are we in a decision to help many, a few, none? Do we have a great opportunity or Tragedy?
- Is being passive an action?

Truth Seeking

What’s a time in your life when you found yourself defending your ideas instead of working with someone else to find the truth? Any reflections on that experience?
When is a time in your life when you were actively trying to figure out the truth together with other(s)? Any reflections on that experience?
What tools (if any) presented in the readings for reasoning clearly did you find most useful?

Taking Ideas Seriously

What do the ideas imply, if taken seriously?
- How could they impact your actions?
- How could they impact society's actions?

Last updated 1 year ago