Hi there! This is the place to start if you're new to or have never heard of effective altruism, as an understanding of most things in "General" and everything in "EA-Specific" is contingent on a comfortable knowledge of the concept and movement known as "effective altruism." Stumbled across this page at random? Give my "About" … Continue reading Welcome
Use “care” with care.
Cross-posted to the Effective Altruism Forum I'm an employee of the Centre for Effective Altruism, but my thoughts are not necessarily those of my employer. As someone who frequents the EA community in the Bay Area, there's a verbal habit that I've heard a lot and of which I think we should be wary. In discussing … Continue reading Use “care” with care.
Trello: Spectacularly Unspectacular
This piece is my submission to the KPCB Product Fellows Program, in response to the following prompt: Describe, in a blog post or video, the last product you used that took your breath away. Please explain what the product is, why you loved it, and any broader analysis or information you think is relevant. This … Continue reading Trello: Spectacularly Unspectacular
The Messy Business of Social Change – Ashoka U Exchange 2015
Originally published on Tulane University's SISE blog “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” Albert Einstein This quote is one of many from “Who Cares?”, a documentary on social innovation and entrepreneurship screened at the 2015 Ashoka U Exchange. It may seem odd to hear it from … Continue reading The Messy Business of Social Change – Ashoka U Exchange 2015
“The Homeless”
Submission to Nick Kristof's Win-A-Trip Contest “When I was little, I wanted to make documentaries about the homeless,” I began, sharing with the TED audience the origins of my passion for helping others. Growing up in Los Angeles, I was accustomed to seeing homeless people sleeping under freeway underpasses or collecting bottles for the 5 … Continue reading “The Homeless”
Why I mourn for Mary Travis, lament for Mike Brown, and donate to African children I’ll never know
I believe I speak for most of us in saying that this last week has been wrecked by emotional havoc. Mary Travis - a Tulane sophomore and acquaintance of mine - took her life this past weekend to the shock and horror of those who knew her, and the Tulane community at large. Mary was … Continue reading Why I mourn for Mary Travis, lament for Mike Brown, and donate to African children I’ll never know
On the reasons change shouldn’t be the goal of changemaking
Question and answer response to the speaker application for the 2015 Ashoka U Exchange. I may turn this into a proper essay at some point. Please describe your specific educational model, best practice or innovation that you would you like to present at the Exchange: * There is a growing movement known as effective altruism, … Continue reading On the reasons change shouldn’t be the goal of changemaking
So nice
Written in December 2013 Today I was driving a few of my friends and I downtown for some Korean food, and, when stopped at a stoplight, handed a snack bar to a homeless veteran on the sidewalk. "You're so nice!" they crowed. "My parents always just tell me to turn away." So nice? I'm driving … Continue reading So nice
The beginning of my involvement
This is not a topic discussion but, rather, the story of how I found and became involved with the effective altruism movement. A similar but arguably better version is entitled "What You Really Learn in England" and can be found in the "Essays" section. I first found EA when I was applying to colleges way … Continue reading The beginning of my involvement
On turning down requests – Part 1 of 2
As the person currently in charge of Giving What We Can's social media and as an activist in EA-barren New Orleans, I have encountered my fair share of non-EA charities or individuals seeking funding. A good cause is a good cause, of course, but with the basis of EA being rooted in "some good causes … Continue reading On turning down requests – Part 1 of 2
On being accidentally rational
It's funny how most people come upon effective altruism, or at least how they have done so up to this point. A huge swath of us are philosophers - myself not included - or worked in the nonprofit sector before. We're often young, usually in the undergrad to PhD age range with a standard deviation of five years or so. These things - minds that like puzzles, hearts that like helping, and youth that likes new ideas - make us susceptible to the ideas of effective altruism.
