
Ask HN: How to maximize doing the most “good” for the world? - ambivalents
This question has been on my mind lately. Perhaps it&#x27;s a little elementary; &quot;good&quot; can mean so many things and quite often doing a bit of good can have unintended negative consequences (e.g. going vegetarian is probably better for the planet but I have also read that veg agriculture can require just as much water as animals).<p>I&#x27;m interested in how this crowd approaches this question, if at all. What are the things you do on a day to day basis that positively contribute to the world?<p>Some small scale ideas I have&#x2F;implement myself: not eating meat, likely not going to have children, use public transit, help anyone I encounter who could use it. It doesn&#x27;t feel like enough though. What else is there?
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ximeng
Make sure you can look after your own basic needs first, so you're not
requiring resources from others. Invest in your own education. Try to be there
for others that you care about.

Realise that sometimes conflict is inevitable and you can't always be "good"
to everyone. If there's conflict, resolve it quickly and decisively. Look for
win-win solutions but be prepared to accept win-lose.

Look at the big picture - not eating meat, not having children, not using
public transit doesn't necessarily help if others take your place. Do what you
think is good, but if you believe in it, make the case to others. Real changes
come from large-scale social movements.

The world is complex, and there might be more important things you can do for
it than changing your diet or daily habits. Bringing up well-loved children
can be a positive for the world.

Realise that everyone has difficulties. You can be the person who helps
someone face their difficulties. You can't fix all the world's problems, but
perhaps helping one person out might be more meaningful to you then chipping
away at some of the big problems.

Be aware that there's no absolute good or bad. There's always people on both
sides. Sometimes you just have to make a call. Like your point on using water
in veg agriculture, there are plenty of people arguing for meat consumption,
many of whom are invested in related industries. Being an evangelist for
either side will likely not win you too many friends, but listening to
arguments on both sides might help you come to a good compromise that can
inspire others.

Follow your gut sometimes even when the data is not all there. Take time to
think if you can. But make decisions and act. Aim to trust yourself, and if
you don't, work on being someone you trust to make the right call when it
matters.

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paulorlando
Thinking of this is important, especially as you've framed the need to think
of consequences of your actions. I've been working on this issue and trying to
educate myself on the topic by learning more about systems. I often come up
with something different from the accepted expectations of the "good" things
to do. So my short answer is that you think and act locally first rather than
try to do something top-down for the entire world (where scaling and other
effects can produce unexpected results). Here's some of my writing on this:
[https://unintendedconsequenc.es/](https://unintendedconsequenc.es/)

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rocketpastsix
Reduce your use of single use plastics. If you go shopping, take a reusable
bag. Look for stores in your area that do bulk purchasing or avoids packaging.

