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Ineffective Altruism — LessWrong

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These do not have the same impact. My technology work helps more people per hour invested than my volunteering at Robotics Club. Does that mean I should put all of my time into inventing technology and none of it into Robotics Club? No. That would be premature optimization. The root of all evil is premature optimization. Occasionally someone who has used my inventions will message me and tell me it changed their life. Occasionally. Occasionally a reader of my blog will tell me they found it useful. Occasionally. When I help out at Robotics Club, the teenagers are happy to see me. Every. Single. Time. I recently flew down to San Francisco to teach a class and give a speech. The organizers offered to put me in a fancy hotel. Instead, I found the cheapest AirBnb in the area and walked for an hour to the location. Partially I did this to save money, but I also did it to stay in touch with reality. Evil happens when you are separated from the pain you inflict upon other people. The host of

x Ineffective Altruism — LessWrong Altruism World Optimization Frontpage 87 Ineffective Altruism by lsusr 23rd Apr 2022 2 min read 17 87 There are many things I can put my time toward. I started a company that provides a low-cost tool that helps people who pull their hair out. I volunteer as a coach for my neighborhood highschool Robotics Club. I frequently blog about rationality. I sometimes blog about machine learning. These do not have the same impact. My technology work helps more people per hour invested than my volunteering at Robotics Club. Does that mean I should put all of my time int

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