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1. Introduce yourself
If you'd like, share how you became interested in effective altruism, what causes you work on and prioritize, and other fun facts about yourself, in the comments below (For inspiration, you can see the last open thread here). You can also add this information to your Forum bio to help other Forum users get to know you.
2. Ask questions (and answer others' questions)
If anything about the Forum, or effective altruism in general, confuses you, ask your questions in the comments below, or message me. You can also answer other people's questions or discuss the answers. (You might be interested in sharing your question as its own post, if it's on a more complicated or substantial topic.)
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Hello all,
I am 41 years old and have subscribed to the Forum for over a year now but have never posted. I was raised in the US but have been living and teaching in China since 2017. I teach engineering students how to write and took this job because it offered more money than I thought possible. While I plan to donate ~95% of that money (I live frugally), I still feel like my life has little impact. Now more than ever, in the wake of the recent US election, I have been sick with the feeling that I am not doing enough for the world. Instinctively, I care most about climate change, but this priority is not based on any rational analysis. I do not consider myself well versed in EA theology, but I listen to podcasts like 80,000 Hours and Clearer Thinking, and I've been a long-time devotee of Peter Singer (philosophy major). In any case, I want to become more active on this forum with the hope of finding a more impactful direction for my life. Very grateful to everyone here contributing to our common goals.
Hey Ryan, welcome and glad to read your intro! It's admirable that you are committed to impact. I think it's natural to feel the problems of the world are big, and sometimes feel that our impact is so low. But it's not. Every dollar we spend or minute volunteering or working on an effective intervention matters, and can make a big difference in lives, today or potentially in the future. Thanks for posting and all the best with figuring out the next steps!