Eliezer_Yudkowsky comments on Existential Angst Factory - Less Wrong

45 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 19 July 2008 06:55AM

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Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 19 July 2008 11:04:07AM 13 points [-]

Better for the charity, maybe. Better for you and your angst, probably not.

That (Western?) concept of so-called altruism is incredibly self-centered, which may explain why it brings little comfort to some. If you're just doing it to make yourself feel better... salivating over the spiritual benefits you expect... then small wonder it doesn't do much to take you out of yourself - not that that's the point.

Comment author: buybuydandavis 18 October 2011 09:15:10AM 6 points [-]

How funny. My response to the article was all about that - charity, for most people, is about being good, not achieving good.