- Not wanting to move countries
(“there would be a lot more effective work options if I lived elsewhere”) - Wanting a permanent work contract
(“there would be a lot more effective work options with temporary contracts or grant-based pay”) - Not wanting to be an independent researcher
(“it could potentially be an effective thing to do, and I wouldn’t have to worry about replaceability”) - Wanting to have a child
(“if I didn’t want one I’d probably be much more flexible on the points above”) - Wanting to take some time off from work to take care of said child, in case I ever manage to have one
(“although if I’m not having an impactful job by that time it probably won’t matter much anyway”) - Burning out
(“it wastes time and sets a bad example”) - Feeling guilty about things
(“I have read Replacing Guilt but I’m still having all these unproductive feelings”)
(Despite feeling guilty I’m doing ok – ultimately, a lot of this is just sadness about not having an unlimited altruism budget. I wanted to post this because I like reading about others’ experiences and thought someone else might like reading about mine. I don’t really need solutions proposals but if you have some, other readers might benefit from them.)
Yes, that's fair. And it was silly of me to potentially cause someone to feel guilty about feeling guilty.
But I stand by the point that there is no reason to feel guilty about choosing something that masimises one's own utility.