One observation and a related suggestion:

(1) We've gone off-topic regarding the demands of this post. Ciphergoth asks what traps can we defuse in advance, before we start to talk about specific ideas to do with what one does in order to change the world. However, I'm neutral about not following instructions -- perhaps Ciphergoph hasn't asked the right question after all, and we need to triangulate towards the right question.

(2) I've got no idea how to begin answering some of the other problems that are being posed. (E.g., how can we best help the world?) So I like Vladimir_Nesov's reminder that there is a post about the value of not proposing solutions until the problem has been discussed as thoroughly as possible. I think we might try it to see if it works in practice. So let's talk about the problem/problems. What is it / what are they?