tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.comments2023-12-28T01:30:22.548-05:00Giving GladlyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-67904061662514265542017-02-04T18:09:00.854-05:002017-02-04T18:09:00.854-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.C. Whinhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05941548457199583776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-32474248430244241872017-02-03T07:43:49.433-05:002017-02-03T07:43:49.433-05:00Similar to what Ben said, I aim to be observant of...Similar to what Ben said, I aim to be observant of when I am feeling like the best version of myself. Then I try to remember to stop and think for a couple seconds about what I'm doing right now, where I am, what I did before this. So much of our lives are on autopilot and follow the grooves of routine that it's easy to miss this subtle but telling data. C. Whinhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05941548457199583776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-53536424082427031892017-01-02T11:37:12.379-05:002017-01-02T11:37:12.379-05:00Thanks for the data points! Glad to know there'...Thanks for the data points! Glad to know there's some overlap here.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12121536922414355617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-85284648932924368652017-01-02T10:31:12.310-05:002017-01-02T10:31:12.310-05:00Hi Julia,
I enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing...Hi Julia,<br /><br />I enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing it. For what it's worth, I include some beef in my diet, but directed around 40% of my 2016 donations to Compassion in World Farming USA, an organization that improves animal welfare through corporate engagement. I also have an EA friend who eats meat but directed most of his 2016 donations to Compassion in World Farming USA and New Harvest.<br /><br />I also think its notable that a number of prominent people working on cultured meat do in fact eat meat: Isha Datar, who runs New Harvest, said that she includes some meat in her diet. (She says it's important that she eats meat so she knows if a cultured meat alternative tastes any good, and I agree with her.) Mark Post, the tissue engineering scientist who developed the first cultured beef burger, also eats meat.<br /><br />I think a large part of the problem is that the most popular EA intervention in the area of animal protection has been vegan outreach. As a non-vegan, it feels hypocritical to pay an organization to try to convince other people to become vegan. But I don't believe this focus is justified in terms of effectiveness, and a number of organizations (i.e. Animal Charity Evaluators) have been adjusting their views on this as well.<br /><br />AviAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04835084355460678847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-37017944629378521672016-12-30T14:58:29.343-05:002016-12-30T14:58:29.343-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Priscilla Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564805564265436613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-64651149340810972462016-06-21T03:19:41.032-04:002016-06-21T03:19:41.032-04:00Thanks Julia, this is really helpful, I'm ofte...Thanks Julia, this is really helpful, I'm often making unhelpful comparisons like these. I love the basketball and IQ post.Larissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12622287526077681522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-72240107995822996442016-06-15T13:54:49.340-04:002016-06-15T13:54:49.340-04:00One thing I've found helpful is to pay explici...One thing I've found helpful is to pay explicit attention to what self-care-type things work well for me and try to do more of them.<br /><br />For instance, it turns out I feel a lot better on days when I get a good amount of exercise, but the effect is subtle enough that I don't automatically feel an urge to get exercise when I need to; I still have to make myself do it.<br /><br />I know that a lot of people have this for exercise specifically; for me, it also applies to most other types of self-care--the relaxing things that I end up doing by default are way less effective than the stuff I do when I put effort into it.Ben Kuhnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07350732655981572902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-71374734641665042382015-12-17T09:29:42.108-05:002015-12-17T09:29:42.108-05:00Great thing to do - I hope to aspire to become an ...Great thing to do - I hope to aspire to become an effective altruist like you guys!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09258369022071752775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-5211395608358829142015-12-15T11:48:14.200-05:002015-12-15T11:48:14.200-05:00I agree that much aid has been poorly handled. How...I agree that much aid has been poorly handled. However, as GiveWell points out, the people criticizing aid in general generally don't actually criticize the specific kinds of interventions they recommend (http://blog.givewell.org/2015/11/06/the-lack-of-controversy-over-well-targeted-aid/). <br /><br />I read the article you sent me on how Tanzanians would rather have the government spend gas revenues on public services than cash transfers (http://www.cgdev.org/blog/political-paradox-cash-transfers), but given that I can't make the Tanzanian government do either, I'm guessing the people in question would rather have a cash transfer from a third party than nothing.Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/12049039706925687485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-43239891184574514542015-11-26T08:48:01.797-05:002015-11-26T08:48:01.797-05:00The majority of children on with adoption neverthe...The majority of children on with adoption nevertheless have residing family members, however poverty as well as greed get involved. Mother Jones has created several great articles within the topic, such as this one:David Warnerhttp://yourlittleangelsbox.com/best-baby-swing/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-60445499364739979832015-11-26T06:33:05.957-05:002015-11-26T06:33:05.957-05:00We should care about ourselves because no one else...We should care about ourselves because no one else will do it except us. A lot of people don't have a feeling of compassion. And I think, It would be great if everyone read the article "<a href="http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/10/6-lessons-i-learned-about-empathy/" rel="nofollow">6 Lessons I Learned about Empathy</a>". I'm sure that it would be useful for some people.Diane Samshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16060062041859952102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-10656107708648650912015-11-24T21:30:19.888-05:002015-11-24T21:30:19.888-05:00One trick ponies may help, but they are not suffic...One trick ponies may help, but they are not sufficient in the scale of aggregation and societies. You acknowledge that public health was not the only factor. This is one of the central flaws of effective altruism. The single-mindedness can work at the margins, but in aggregation one trick ponies can not achieve as much as large-scale reforms or a more diverse array of reforms. <br /><br />As great economists like Acemoglu and Deaton have argued, effective altruists neglect political contributors to instability. Acemoglu and colleagues showed a robust relationship between state capacity and development. <br /><br />http://economics.mit.edu/files/10667<br /><br />Moreover, foreign aid is not correlated with crucial markers of development. <br /><br />https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/10/13/why-trying-to-help-poor-countries-might-actually-hurt-them/<br /><br />In the year, 1970, average life expectancy in China was 43 years compared to 68 in Japan. In 2015, it's 75 in China compared to 84 in Japan. Healthy, regulated capitalism and state capacity trumps aid and attests to the limitations of one-trick ponies. As Acemoglu states, "A large body of research shows that economic development is the best way to lift millions out of poverty and improve their health, education, and access to public amenities." <br /><br />On the other hand, the idea that one-trick ponies pave the way for lasting change is not borne out by a robust body of theoretical and empirical work. They can help at the margins, but they are not sufficient for lasting change. <br /><br /><br /><br />Nadiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13090012074040544554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-73965851403147458462015-11-23T12:55:45.652-05:002015-11-23T12:55:45.652-05:00We seem to be talking about different topics here....We seem to be talking about different topics here. The question of whether to pursue systemic change, and on what scale, is separate from what lifestyle will help one pursue change.<br /><br />I disagree with the implication that most human suffering is because of unjust systems that screwed up a previously-functional system. If you look at the history of the US, we were recently struggling with many of the same problems (poverty, malaria, hookworm, high child mortality, etc) that still plague poorer parts of the world. The existence of parasites in the soil is not the fault of a particular political system, and can be addressed without a revolution.<br /><br />http://www.givinggladly.com/2013/08/malaria-one-trick-ponies-and-lasting.htmlJulia https://www.blogger.com/profile/12049039706925687485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-77910221563184612612015-11-23T12:49:18.356-05:002015-11-23T12:49:18.356-05:00Our neighborhood school basically matches #2.
Tha...Our neighborhood school basically matches #2. <br />That said, we don't think of our daughter's education primarily as an investment to her "giving back to society." We expect that she might contribute about as much as her peers, but not be a little clone of us and our ideals. Counting investments in her as investments in altruistic causes - given that we don't yet know whether she'll be particularly interested in altruism or effective altruism - seems overly optimistic.<br />Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/12049039706925687485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-20484047284523174082015-11-23T12:46:32.597-05:002015-11-23T12:46:32.597-05:00This is one of the concerns about earning to give ...This is one of the concerns about earning to give - that people will go into it intending to give but then not follow through (because of pressure to maintain a high-flying lifestyle like the other bankers or whatever).<br /><br />This seems to be less of a concern in some fields than others - for example, my husband works in tech and feels no pressure to go out to expensive drinks and meals, buy fancy clothes and cars, etc. That might be quite different in something like big law.<br /><br />Thus the hope that through communities like Giving What We Can, people doing earning to give even in fields with a lot of conspicuous consumption will feel supported in resisting that.Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/12049039706925687485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-14587367779576751532015-11-21T19:30:56.927-05:002015-11-21T19:30:56.927-05:00And I, of course, see it rather differently...
If...And I, of course, see it rather differently...<br /><br />If the objective is to feel good about yourself by giving stuff away... <br /><br />But it isn't. You want to make other people's lives better. (Yes?)<br /><br />If you give a man a fish he eats for a day. If you teach him to fish...<br /><br />(Oh! His father was a fisherman. His family used to have a boat and make a good living at fishing. And then something bad happened. Overfishing? The government limited who could fish? The bank lent him some money for a fancy motor...)<br /><br />Hmmm, if I buy him a neighbor's farm, then his neighbor won't have a farm. :-(<br /><br />If I buy some land from Mister Big...<br /><br />(Wait! How did Mister Big get all that land? Oh! His father stole it (legally, of course) from our friend's Uncle. And as soon as he gets a chance, he'll steal it right back. (Legally, of course.)<br /><br />So, while focusing on helping individuals, it's all for naught if we can't change the system that pushed them into poverty in the first place. (So I'm out screaming about Big Banks and getting Bernie into the White House.)<br /><br />and I could be full of it. But I'm open to your thoughts.Bilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10729908839905899361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-84375918165540497472015-11-20T21:29:32.296-05:002015-11-20T21:29:32.296-05:00>The poor don't want you to look like them....>The poor don't want you to look like them. They want you to dress in a suit and go get them food and water.<br /><br />Agreed with your whole article. How will you apply this philosophy to how you invest in your child's education? Which of the following 3 options will you choose? (Our family chose option #2):<br /><br />#1: Put your child into a low-income, low-performing, public school, in order to promote integration.<br /><br />#2: Put your child into a higher-income, little-minority, higher-performing public school, so your child can grow up to be more successful and give back more to society.<br /><br />#3: Put your child into the highest-income, most privileged, private school, so your child can grow up in high society, make the most income, and give back most to society.<br /><br />#4: Ideal but rarely exists so not a real option: middle-income, racially integrated, high-performing public school. <br />Philip Changhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00613484372264007756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-16676356670362704012015-11-20T03:22:29.807-05:002015-11-20T03:22:29.807-05:00Well stated, and the history is appreciated :).
T...Well stated, and the history is appreciated :).<br /><br />That said, I think it's worth mentioning that there are times when it's meaningful and valuable to reject stuff. I'm thinking of Gandhi and his homemade clothes, and Mother Teresa and the attention garnered by her voluntary poverty (not that I know a whole lot about either). I think people are attracted to people who're passionate enough about their beliefs, and the meanings of their actions, that they will do inconvenient things. Conforming can be useful, but being different can also be meaningful!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00546262309409636873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-90118985491457045482015-11-19T21:35:10.498-05:002015-11-19T21:35:10.498-05:00On your last section, I reckon the issue with weal...On your last section, I reckon the issue with wealth is that it can become a controlling influence in one's life, rather than a means to an end ("you cannot serve God and Mammon", etc.). I think though that this tends to happen when one earns all one can, and perhaps even saves all one can (like the Rich Fool), but doesn't give.Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12711285313237764064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-71533752652799114882015-11-19T14:37:47.469-05:002015-11-19T14:37:47.469-05:00The suit example was someone who was literally mee...The suit example was someone who was literally meeting with politicians - I think it was pretty clear-cut.<br /><br />As you say, other examples can get more nebulous. That's where I think that query about "Do you refuse to let the prevailing culture and media dictate your needs and values?" comes in handy.Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/12049039706925687485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-38136877176873024832015-11-19T14:21:32.451-05:002015-11-19T14:21:32.451-05:00While your attitude is factually correct, I worry ...While your attitude is factually correct, I worry that having it makes it easier to lie to myself. e.g.:<br /><br />"I need this BMW in order to be maximally effective at impressing my lawyer buddies so that I'll be more likely to make partner."<br /><br />"I need to dress to the nines all the time because I can't predict when I'll meet someone I need to make a good impression on."Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15514421928239157036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-22301692730985785702015-10-30T10:25:10.416-04:002015-10-30T10:25:10.416-04:00This was great I also decided to give away half my...This was great I also decided to give away half my income.. This helped a lot . thank youAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04704056344050327634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-37339829324917504762015-10-21T14:00:52.810-04:002015-10-21T14:00:52.810-04:00I just stumbled upon your blog and i am truly insp...I just stumbled upon your blog and i am truly inspired by the life you live. Sheilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14814522542554556878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-817381806062226702015-09-28T14:18:13.586-04:002015-09-28T14:18:13.586-04:00Just discovered your blog and really enjoy it! I s...Just discovered your blog and really enjoy it! I searched for "vegan" since being vegan presents many of the same dilemmas as being very frugal in order to give.<br /><br />I think many people view veganism as being about purity (and a small number of vegan zealots may perpetuate that idea) but for all the vegans I know, that's never the case. <br /><br />We all accidentally step on an insect or eat plants that were made with pesticides - no one is pure. I think the goal is just being as ethical as you reasonably can, while always striving to improve. Food is a very personal and sensitive subject. Yelling or insulting someone for not being where you are is extremely unlikely to convince people to change, while being supportive and encouraging is far more effective.<br /><br /><br />Nickhttp://www.millennialfinances.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644358391468331871.post-90764272427811192952015-09-28T14:11:33.377-04:002015-09-28T14:11:33.377-04:00I studied this for a post I wrote and I discovered...I studied this for a post I wrote and I discovered that I love PayPal’s Giving Fund – where you can donate to a wide variety of charities via PayPal, who will cover all the processing costs so that 100% of your donation goes to your charity. Most importantly, they give you the option to donate anonymously so you won't get lots of glossy snail mail.<br /><br />GiveDirectly and GiveWell are on there, but not all charities.Nickhttp://www.millennialfinances.comnoreply@blogger.com