Virtual Discussion: How Do We Handle Changing Our Beliefs When It's Hard?

Join us for weekly virtual Houston Effective Altruism meetups!
Connect with other Effective Altruists in your area and build a sense of community. Meet like-minded individuals and engage more deeply with reading material. Whether you're a newcomer to EA or have been engaged with the community for a while, you're welcome and encouraged to participate!

Event format:
During the first hour, the host will welcome everyone and make announcements, followed by brief introductions from attendees.
There will also be a 10-20 minute presentation about an article or idea.
The host will then kick off a discussion with a question, and if the group is larger than 5 people, attendees will break off into separate breakout rooms.
The conversation will unfold freely, and the host will ask another question when there is a lull.
At the end of the first hour, the host will wrap up the group discussion and ask for feedback, encouraging participants to stay in the virtual meeting room and mingle informally for as long as they wish.

This week's topic: Open truth-seeking
Rather than starting with a commitment to a certain cause, community or approach, it’s important to consider many different ways to help and seek to find the best ones.
This means putting serious time into deliberation and reflection on one’s beliefs, being constantly open and curious for new evidence and arguments, and being ready to change one’s views quite radically.

Discussion questions:

• What are some strategies you use to remain open to questioning your beliefs and being open to changing your views, even if it is uncomfortable?
• Can you think of examples where a different approach -- other than a policy of Open Truthseeking and radical belief change -- may be equally valid depending on individual values and goals?
• How can we respect different approaches while still striving for the most effective ways of doing good?