![]() ![]() ![]() I wrote a post on agency a few months ago, which I now think missed important caveats. I often feel like it’s become both a status symbol and an unquestionable good. Recently, “agency” has been heavily encouraged within EA. Being too willing to ask for help made me worse at solo problem-solving.Don’t ignore this cost when taking big and bold moves. Making authorities upset with you is (emotionally and instrumentally) costly.It’s not always low cost for others to say no to requests failing to model this can make others uncomfortable and lead to a relative overconsumption of resources. ![]() If you feel uncomfortable when violating a social norm or taking a bold move, take this feeling into consideration, there is probably a reason for this feeling.Agency is not a tradeoff against rest in fact, doing things to high standards and achieving your goals often requires tons of slack. I have an impression that, sometimes, people say “agency” and others hear “work more hours be more ambitious make bolder moves! Why haven’t you started a project already?!” “Agency” doesn’t entail “hustling hard” – it entails acting intentionally, and these are importantly different.“Agency” being a high status buzzword incentivises Goodharting– where big and bold actions are encouraged (at the expense of actions that actually achieve an individual's goals).At the extreme, it can feel parasitic, with dominant individuals monopolising resources. The un-nuanced encouragement of “social agency” could be harmful for the community it encourages violating social norms and social dominance.Recently, “agency” has become heavily encouraged and socially rewarded within EA, and I am concerned about the unintended consequences. ![]()
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