If you have ever wondered how it is possible that a flying saucer cult has more members than EA, now it's time to learn something.
One sentiment from a friend of mine that I don't completely agree with but I believe is worth keeping in mind is that effective altruism (EA) is about helping others and isn't meant to become a "country club for saints". What does that have to do with Raelianism, or Scientology, or some other cult? Well, they tend to treat their members like saints, and their members aren't effective. I mean, these organizations may be effective by one metric in that they're able to efficiently funnel capital/wealth (e.g., financial, social, material, sexual, etc.) to their leaders. I'm aware of Raelianism, and I don't know much about it. From what I've read about Scientology, it's able to get quite a lot done. However, they're able to get away with that when they don't follow rules, bully everyone from their detractors to whole governments, and brainwash people into becoming their menial slaves. The epistemic hygiene in these groups are abysmal.
I think there are many onlookers from LessWrong who are hoping much of effective altruism gets better epistemics than they have now, and would be utterly aghast if they were selling this out to use whatever tools from the dark arts to make gains in raw numbers of self-identified adherents who cannot think or act for themselves. Being someone quite involved in EA, I can tell you that EA should grow as fast as possible, or that the priority is to make anyone who willing to become passionate about it to feel as welcome as possible, isn't worth it if the expense is the quality culture of the movement, to the extent it has a quality culture of epistemic hygiene. So, sure, we could learn lessons from ufo-cults, but they would be the wrong lessons. Having as many people in EA as possible isn't the most important thing for EA to do.
Being someone quite involved in EA, I can tell you that EA should grow as fast as possible, or that the priority is to make anyone who willing to become passionate about it to feel as welcome as possible, isn't worth it if the expense is the quality culture of the movement, to the extent it has a quality culture of epistemic hygiene.
Sounds like effective is being cast aside for epistemically pure. EPA? Epistemically Pure Altruism.
I was invited by a stranger I met on a plane and actually went to a meeting of Raëlians (known in some LW circles as "the flying saucer cult") in 沖縄, Japan. It was right next to Claude Vorilhon's home, and he came himself for the "ceremony" (?) dressed in a theatrical space-y white uniform, complete with a Jewish-style white cap on his head. When saying his "sermon" (?) he spoke in English and his words were translated into Japanese for the benefit of those who didn't understand. And yes, it's true he talked with me briefly and then hugged me (I understand he does this with all newcomers, and it felt 100% fake to me). I then went on to eat lunch in an 居酒屋 with a group of around 15 members, who were all really friendly and pleasant people. I was actually treated to lunch by them, and afterwards someone gave me a ~20 minute ride to the town I wanted to be in, despite knowing they won't see me ever again.
If you have ever wondered how it is possible that a flying saucer cult has more members than EA, now it's time to learn something.
Note: I hope it's clear that I do not endorse creating cults, nor do I proclaim the EA community's inferiority. It hasn't even crossed my mind when I wrote the above line that any LW'er would take it as a stab they need to defend against. I'm merely pointing to the fact that we can learn from anything, whether it's good or bad, and encouraging a fresh discussion on this after I gathered some new data.
Let's do this as a Q&A session (I'm at work now so I can't write a long post).
Please ask questions in comments.