Just starting off this article was quite dense and made me think and rethink many different actions in my life. It even made me even wonder if my major is something thats OK to pursue. The Effective Altruism movement is quite intense and the members of it have very strict close minded views.
First Thread
The first thread I’m going off of was when Hilton and Southan went on a walk around the cottage. Hilton (a member of the EA movement) asked Southan if the script she is writing going to be one of the best scripts ever written. Southan found this question as a trap and didn’t really know how to respond without disappointing Hilton. Ultimately he proceeds to answer with “no” and gets a weird feeling around Hilton. After that interaction, he then begins to explain the views of EA’s and if you’re writing a script, you’re using resources that could ultimately save lives. But if you are writing the best movie of all time then it might be OK to write that script. This idea made me really wonder why would telling yourself you are writing the best movie of all time suddenly make it OK in the eyes of the EA’s? I guess the views of the EA’s really confuse me and I don’t fully understand what they are trying to achieve besides helping those in need to the fullest potential. If thats the case then how does “writing the best movie of all time” help people?
Second Thread
The second thread that I found interesting was when they were explaining “Net Positive”. A UK-based programmer, Ozzie Gooen, made up a fake superhero to spoof creative rich people who think they’re helping but in reality they are doing the bare minimum. These people cared more about the making of cool art then helping those really in need but in the end they still think they’re good people for doing something. So, Gooen joked about “Net Positive Man”, which is basically saying they’ll help but not really. The example they gave was someone drowning in a well and Net Positive man saying “Heres a Youtube Video! It’s Net positive!”. I found this somewhat funny but also realized that it is very relevant. People think they are helping when in reality they aren’t doing much. People try to help ultimately to feel good about themselves they aren’t really thinking about the people in need. Which I believe is very true in some cases and quite sad. I still don’t believe you have to have the same views as EA’s but you could always do a little more to make a difference.
Elizabeth,
I enjoyed reading your threads. Your first thread got me wondering what would actually make a movie the best movie of all time? What does that even mean?
Your website looks fantastic, and I enjoyed reading your About Me page. Thank you for sharing so much! I was so happy to see that beautiful picture of you with your grandmother! I am so inspired by the role she’s played in your career choice. My youngest son has had some amazing OT’s along the way, and it strikes me as a rewarding and meaningful career.