TheOtherDave comments on Beware of Other-Optimizing - Less Wrong
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If you constrain yourself to actions that can't cause harm, even serious harm, you become noticeably less effective.
If your goal is to leave people on average better off, more educated, etc., then yes, there's plenty of reason for hope. People do this all the time. It involves playing the odds so as to maximize the expected value of what you do.
If your goal is to act effectively while also never being accountable for doing harm, there may not be reason for hope.