“I want us to be better [some feelings]” by brentonmayer

<p> I loved Phoebe's Updates from the Swarm and George's Alone again: facing the possibility of AI takeover as the world sleepwalks on. I think it's a good time for sharing big feelings, so here's an essay which rhymes with theirs. I drafted most of it in 2022, which was also a time of big feelings for me.</p><p> I grew up in a small town surrounded by good people. My mum stayed at work late to help women through labour and my dad really tried to lead the Rotary Club in helping our community.</p><p> I had some general sense that there was more that we should do about helping others in low-income countries, but I was young and the world was complicated, and I hadn’t figured all of that out yet.</p><p> When my friend Dan introduced me to The Life You Can Save, I saw a clear argument that our lack of action to help those folks meant that each of the good people around me was allowing tens, and often hundreds, of people to die through inaction.</p><p> It seemed like the most important truth I had ever come across. But when I talked to people about it they scarcely [...]</p> <p>---</p>

<p><b>First published:</b><br/>

September 14th, 2026 </p>

<p><b>Source:</b><br/>

<a href="https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/qEr6ZQKHzvzNzJyB2/i-want-us-to-be-better-some-feelings?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/qEr6ZQKHzvzNzJyB2/i-want-us-to-be-better-some-feelings</a> </p>

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<p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=ea_forum&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>