A new episode of Global Optimum has been released! Global Optimum is a podcast aimed at making altruists more effective. This episode is about the psychology of social status. The desire for status is a fundamental human motive. Understanding status can help us understand many otherwise puzzling features of our world. In this episode, I apply our understanding of status psychology to analyze various dynamics and trends within effective altruism. This episode features: -How do people behave differently when they are high vs low status? -How did human social status evolve? -Should you try to dampen your desire for status? -Are EAs too credential-focused? -Is publishing in academic journals overrated? -Can you get more done by working alone than by starting an organization? -What causes groups to splinter? -How has effective altruism "professionalized?" What are the upsides and downsides of this trend? Full transcript The podcast is available on all podcast apps. Listen here
This was great. Thanks!