AI safety research is incredible for my life satisfaction and overall happiness. I expected that at some point it would peter out, but I just keep getting happier and more content; e.g., this is the best month of my life, but so was the last, and the last, and the last (up until April 2024). I feel like I contribute to something important, do technically complex and intellectually satisfying work, and can support myself and people I care about.

I was worried that it would be some type of dysfunction (like a manic attack), but I feel pretty grounded, still get discouraged/unhappy at times. And I feel I have friends and coworkers who I trust who would tell me if that was the case (both professionally, leaning too much in the slop direction, and personally, if I was acting very weird; possibly this is also a chance for people I know to tell me that they think I'm cooked).