[nandorsky]

This also assumes that decisions to donate to a cause are driven by logic based on an ROI calculation but they are often driven by emotion, not logic. Donors give to causes they care about and feel connected to. If you grew up homeless for example, you're more likely to give to a cause that helps alleviate homelessness vs buying nets to combat Malaria (where you may have no connection) even if the ROI for donating to buy Malaria nets is higher.

[haroldp]

> If you grew up homeless for example, you're more likely to give to a cause that helps alleviate homelessness

But does your charity actually alleviate homelessness? Effective altruism is still useful even if you have picked the cause to which you wish to contribute. You picked a great example, because homeless charities are notably bad at alleviating homelessness, and indeed may exacerbate it.

[spectrum1234]

Effective altruism is saying one should donate by logic/ROI.

[nandorsky]

The way I read it is people would follow this method if the data was more readily available and the issue is access to data.

[whack]

They are both generally true. In the absence of data, people default towards their emotional connections. Ie, a cancer survivor donating to a cancer charity. But if someone could provide data showing persuasively that you can save 10x more lives via malaria charities, that would often override the emotional appeals for many people.

It's much easier to give in to your emotions, when you aren't encumbered by contradictory data.

[CompelTechnic]

That is an interesting comparison.

If they adopt either an Ayn Rand-style, "all altruism is selfish", or else a cynical, "altruism is just virtue signaling", then promoters of effective altruism should try to market it as sexy.

They could develop marketing materials portraying effective altruists as hard-working, hard-partying, sophisticated, game-winning, lady-killing, truly conscientious but aspirational millionaires that have developed such complete mastery over their own lives that they now work toward effective as the last game worth playing.

Like a mix between the hunter in "The Most Dangerous Game", Ozymandias from Watchmen, and Gandhi. Or something.