I hadn’t heard of James Harrison before. I would consider him successful, of course that doesn’t mean that he considers himself successful or that you consider him successful.
I wouldn’t view donating blood as inherently good either. There have been times when people were given money to donate blood, but then AIDS came about...
When blind luck can put some random guy in the same league as the world’s top altruist
Ahh… you think the world’s top altruist is successful… That’s what we disagree about. I think the world’s top altruist is the person who desires the image of success the most.
FWIW the definition of Altruism I am using is NOT the same as the EA people… they’ve culturally appropriated that term and made it mean something very different from what Ayn Rand meant when she used it.
I think the world’s top altruist is the person who desires the image of success the most.
Who cares? You just spent half this thread claiming that success is subjective. Bill Gates and James Harrison are going by their own ideas of altruistic success, not yours.
(For what it’s worth, I personally do consider James Harrison successful at helping people. It explicitly was his goal, he made a pledge and everything.)
You just spent half this thread claiming that success is subjective
Really? I’m pretty sure I didn’t. Success is hard to define, but that doesn’t mean it’s subjective.
Bill Gates and James Harrison are going by their own ideas of altruistic success, not yours.
Oh really? Can you read their minds? I’ve read about Bill Gates motivations and I didn’t see the word altruism once. It’s all good and well to claim Bill Gates is part of your movement but for all you know he’s never heard of it.
Why don’t you call Jesus an altruist? Or some other religious figure?
Please tell us more about your inside information on the psychology of Bill and Melinda Gates
I have none. Just an opinion that given my posts downvote counts suggests that I shouldn’t share.
Ayn Rand did not invent the term “altruism”?
Neither did the Effective Altruism people. But Ayn Rand’s books have sold a lot and are read by influential people, so I’ll use her definition until I have a reason not to.
I hadn’t heard of James Harrison before. I would consider him successful, of course that doesn’t mean that he considers himself successful or that you consider him successful.
I wouldn’t view donating blood as inherently good either. There have been times when people were given money to donate blood, but then AIDS came about...
Ahh… you think the world’s top altruist is successful… That’s what we disagree about. I think the world’s top altruist is the person who desires the image of success the most.
FWIW the definition of Altruism I am using is NOT the same as the EA people… they’ve culturally appropriated that term and made it mean something very different from what Ayn Rand meant when she used it.
Who cares? You just spent half this thread claiming that success is subjective. Bill Gates and James Harrison are going by their own ideas of altruistic success, not yours.
(For what it’s worth, I personally do consider James Harrison successful at helping people. It explicitly was his goal, he made a pledge and everything.)
Really? I’m pretty sure I didn’t. Success is hard to define, but that doesn’t mean it’s subjective.
Oh really? Can you read their minds? I’ve read about Bill Gates motivations and I didn’t see the word altruism once. It’s all good and well to claim Bill Gates is part of your movement but for all you know he’s never heard of it.
Why don’t you call Jesus an altruist? Or some other religious figure?
Please tell us more about your inside information on the psychology of Bill and Melinda Gates.
You do understand, don’t you, that Ayn Rand did not invent the term “altruism”?
I have none. Just an opinion that given my posts downvote counts suggests that I shouldn’t share.
Neither did the Effective Altruism people. But Ayn Rand’s books have sold a lot and are read by influential people, so I’ll use her definition until I have a reason not to.