It’s an old point, probably made by Robin Hanson, that if you want to donate to charity you should actually boast about it as much as possible to get your friends to do the same, rather than doing the status-preserving, humble saint act.
I think it might be worth making an app on facebook, say, that would allow people to boast anonymously. Let’s say your offered the chance to see if your friends are donating. Hopefully people bite—curiousity makes them accept (no obligation to do anything after all). But now they know that their friends are giving and they aren’t. “Do as you’re friends have done!” we tell them “donate a little” you’ll even encourage others to donate, and nobody can accuse you of boasting...
Right, but if you were given the opportunity for all your friends to that one of their friends had donated, you’d take it right? No social cost to you.
It’s an old point, probably made by Robin Hanson, that if you want to donate to charity you should actually boast about it as much as possible to get your friends to do the same, rather than doing the status-preserving, humble saint act.
I think it might be worth making an app on facebook, say, that would allow people to boast anonymously. Let’s say your offered the chance to see if your friends are donating. Hopefully people bite—curiousity makes them accept (no obligation to do anything after all). But now they know that their friends are giving and they aren’t. “Do as you’re friends have done!” we tell them “donate a little” you’ll even encourage others to donate, and nobody can accuse you of boasting...
Thoughts?
eh, I’m unselfish enough to donate but selfish enough not to boast about it
Right, but if you were given the opportunity for all your friends to that one of their friends had donated, you’d take it right? No social cost to you.
Eh, I’m selfish enough not to donate but unselfish enough to fill out an anonymous form claiming I donate vast sums.
Could be made verifiable by communicating with charities, to stop people doing that. Good point though.
But if you stop people lying, you’ll reduce the peer pressure!
Hey, if it works for sex stuff …