[EDIT: I realize that this is not always true and am definitely interested in arguments/evidence for that too]
For context, I lead a university group and constantly find myself talking to members about why I don't think there is a real sacrifice to wellbeing in choosing to work on the most pressing problems [as opposed to the ones that students gravitated to when they were young]. Any resources that address concerns about sacrificing happiness when using EA to inform career plans would be much appreciated!
This makes a lot of sense and thanks for sharing that post! It's certainly true that my role is to help individuals and as such it's important to recognize their individuality and other priorities.
I suppose I also believe that one can contribute to these fields in the long-run by building aptitudes like Ines' response discusses, but maybe these problems are urgent & require direct work soon, in which case I can see what you are saying about the high levels of specialization.