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#182 – Bob Fischer on comparing the welfare of humans, chickens, pigs, octopuses, bees, and more

80,000 Hours Podcast

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Types of Risk Aversion in Altruistic Decision-Making

One type of risk aversion is being concerned with avoiding worst-case scenarios, which affects how individuals rank their options based on the value they associate with those outcomes. Another type of risk aversion is centered around the fear of futility and the desire to make a tangible difference, leading to a focus on actions with clear positive impacts and aversion towards downside risks. The third type is ambiguity aversion, where individuals prefer known probabilities over uncertain ones, penalizing options with unclear or wide probability ranges. These different types of risk aversion influence altruistic decision-making, shaping how individuals prioritize and allocate resources towards different causes based on their attitudes towards risk and uncertainty.

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