Sound like a strange statement? Well, this is where a philosophy twist comes in. There have been plenty of thinkers who’ve taken upon themselves to think of ways to break existing human biases which can heavily impact our decisions.
One of these thinkers was American philosopher, John Rawls, who wanted us to forget our personal circumstances, values and gained knowledge. His idea was when we sit behind a "veil of ignorance" we can see what would be best for society as a whole. This also neatly connects us to the idea of Michael Shermer's Fairness Principle. When contemplating a moral action, imagine that you don't know if you will be the moral doer or receiver, and when in doubt err on the side of the other person.
So this thought experiment lets us veer away from what would be good for us and instead think about what would be good for everyone. We start imagining a world built on mutual trust, justice and fairness. We rid ourselves of a range of cognitive biases that cloud our judgement. When behind the veil of ignorance we come up with ideas which benefit everyone and ensure a fair distribution of resources. This can help fight the tragedy of the commons: a scenario in which individuals, acting in their self-interest, collectively deplete or degrade a shared resource.
The Veil of Ignorance is, of course, a fictional scenario. In the real world we hold biases so deep and our circumstances can be so limiting that stepping out of the social contexts we reside in can prove too difficult of a task. Still, we can imagine and test out what could, in theory, work best for everyone.
So as we enter donation season, the opportunities to contribute to public goods within the Ethereum ecosystem and beyond are abundant. Pick areas you're passionate about, stay cautious and vigilant, and always trust your instincts.
Think about the counter side to this too: imagine what you would do if you weren’t thinking of your own interests. Watch yourself counter your own bias. Imagine a world built on mutual trust, justice, and equitable resource distribution. Might sound a tad idealistic but by taking these steps and embracing a mindset of informed generosity, you might come to some surprising conclusions. Now, let's donate and fund some public goods!
