Anything we seek to do is a function of our capabilities and how important the activity is. Less Wrong is aimed mainly as a pointer towards increasing the capabilities of those who are interested in improving their rationality and Eliezer has mentioned in one of the sequences that there are many other aspects of the art that have to be developed. Epistemic rationality is one, luminosity as mentioned by Alicorn is another, so on and so forth.
Who knows that in the future, we may get many rational offshoots of lesswrong—lessshy, lessprocastinating, etc.
Now, getting back to my statement. Function of capabilities and Importance.
Importance—Existential risk is the most important problem that is not having sufficient light on it.
Capability—The singinst is a group of powerless, poor and introverted geeks who are doing the best, that they think they can do, to reduce existential risk. This may include things that improve their personal ability to affect the future positively. It may include charisma and marketing, also. For all the time that they have thought on the issue, the singinst people consider raising the sanity waterline as really important to the cause. Unless and until you have specific data that that avenue is not the best use of their time, it is a worthwhile cause to pursue.
Before reading the paragraph below, please answer this simple question—What is your marginal time unit, taking into account necessary leisure, being used for?
If your capability is great, then you can contribute much more than SIAI. All you need to see is whether on the margin, your contribution is making a greater difference to the activity or not. Even Singinst cannot absorb too much money without losing focus. You, as a smart person know that. So, stop contributing to Singinst when you think your marginal dollar gets better value when spent elsewhere.
It is not whether you believe that singinst is the best cause ever. Honestly assess and calculate where your marginal dollar can get better value. Are you better off being the millionth voice in the climate change debate or the hundredth voice in the existential risk discussion?
Anything we seek to do is a function of our capabilities and how important the activity is. Less Wrong is aimed mainly as a pointer towards increasing the capabilities of those who are interested in improving their rationality and Eliezer has mentioned in one of the sequences that there are many other aspects of the art that have to be developed. Epistemic rationality is one, luminosity as mentioned by Alicorn is another, so on and so forth.
Who knows that in the future, we may get many rational offshoots of lesswrong—lessshy, lessprocastinating, etc.
Now, getting back to my statement. Function of capabilities and Importance.
Importance—Existential risk is the most important problem that is not having sufficient light on it. Capability—The singinst is a group of powerless, poor and introverted geeks who are doing the best, that they think they can do, to reduce existential risk. This may include things that improve their personal ability to affect the future positively. It may include charisma and marketing, also. For all the time that they have thought on the issue, the singinst people consider raising the sanity waterline as really important to the cause. Unless and until you have specific data that that avenue is not the best use of their time, it is a worthwhile cause to pursue.
Before reading the paragraph below, please answer this simple question—What is your marginal time unit, taking into account necessary leisure, being used for?
If your capability is great, then you can contribute much more than SIAI. All you need to see is whether on the margin, your contribution is making a greater difference to the activity or not. Even Singinst cannot absorb too much money without losing focus. You, as a smart person know that. So, stop contributing to Singinst when you think your marginal dollar gets better value when spent elsewhere.
It is not whether you believe that singinst is the best cause ever. Honestly assess and calculate where your marginal dollar can get better value. Are you better off being the millionth voice in the climate change debate or the hundredth voice in the existential risk discussion?
EDIT : Edited the capability para for clarity