The ‘how’ and the ‘what’ of Effective Altruism (and of good decision making)
Good decision making is more about the “making” than about the “decision”
Altruism is an intriguing phenomenon. Many of us make material sacrifices in money, effort or time that benefit others, without a clear immediate material benefit to ourselves. We hold the door open for someone, or allow a driver to join a queue of traffic. We volunteer at the annual fête of our children’s school, or we stay late at work to help a colleague finish a report. And many of us give away actual money to good causes. On the face of it, such altruism goes against our self-interest. How could evolution favour such an organism?
Interestingly, much of this can be explained through evolution. Prosocial behaviour and reciprocity help us cooperate with others. And over many thousands of generations, populations that were better at working together were able to achieve more than those that were less cooperative, and hence prospered in comparison. Another angle is that altruistic behaviour patterns signal our character, and help us build a good reputation. This in turn may help us to find a mate, or secure our ongoing membership of a collaborative tribe. But while this may explain why altruism prevails at a community level, the benefits to an individual may be too…
