Rereading “Is it OK to Make Art?” a second time, has definitely been a different experience from the first time I read it. The first time I tried to attack it I was confused throughout the reading and my annotations didn’t do much good either. Going into class the next day, I didn’t really have a good grasp of what the reading was about. But after discussing some different things in class and defining some words I was able to get a new perspective of the reading the second time around. I visited the Effective Altruism site right before as well and also got a better understanding of their movement.
Having all of these things in the back of my mind, when I looked at it again, made the reading not only easier to understand but also more enjoyable. I felt myself more engaged in the text and making more thoughtful annotations. I found myself becoming more skeptical of the Effective Altruism movement as well. I understand that they want more people to help the needy but they believe the only real way to fix that is to throw money at it. This I don’t fully feel is right.
I also noticed that EA’s believed that if you don’t have a high paying job that “doesn’t really make an impact” then there is no reason to pursue it. This I found wrong, since I grew up also being told to pursue what makes me happy and I don’t think you can really help others without being happy in your own life. I understand that what they are trying to do, and see that it is a great thing to help those in need
I want to high five so many of these sentences! I love that you connected greater understanding with greater enjoyment. I think this is an important and meaningful connection to make.
Keep up the good work!