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?
The podcast is available on all podcast apps.