heya! mad excited to be here! im ruairi, i love rescue, dancing, freedom, the wilderness and most importantly making happiness

ill be leaving school in two years and i was wondering about what i am going to do with the rest of my life, whenever anyone asks i always say that i want to "make the maximum amount of happiness and stop the maximum amount of suffering", which i just recently found out is Utilitarianism (i think, please correct me if im wrong).

i thought maybe if i could find a college course where i could learn about and understand all of the things causing major suffering then i would know what to do from there, but i dunno maybe there would be something which would be a much better idea. i slept in my garden for 3 months in a lot of rain and some snow to test some gear cause i dont want to live in a house when i move out so im up for anything really haha

many many thanks for any help and really looking forward to being here !

I'm not sure about a specific college course like you mentioned, but perhaps there is an online course at Open University, perhaps something here: http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergradu ... /index.htm

Other things to consider:
http://www.givewell.org/
http://reducing-suffering.wikidot.com/

If you don't want to live in a house, then you'll have to find a type of work that permits that life-style. Then there are other considerations like access to books or Internet or other such things that might help you to continue your education. An alternative is to live in a tiny travel trailer in an RV park if such things exist where you are. Some cities in the southern U.S. permit this.

awesome thank you for the info those are deadly sites!

haha if it would create more happiness i could probably live with living an a house, i just meant to explain that im up for anything

Hi Ruari, I would contend that whether or not you live in a normal house, you need to keep yourself connected to the internet, and probably a phone too. The internet can inform your actions so that you're more effective, and it can allow you to link in with other utilitarians to help them to act effectively too. I think avoiding it would be a big mistake.

As for living in a caravan park, or a tent, or something, it seems an odd choice to me! I think that however much suffering you can reduce alone, we can do more together. And if you pursue a lifestyle that's so alternative, people will turn away from you reflexively. Living out of a house could be the difference between 'this guy makes some good points, i should donate more money to charity' and 'get that caravan park weirdo away from me'. Also, living outside of a house could contribute to back problems if you sleep on a thinner bed.

I think there are three candidates for college courses
1. Direct action: best course is Medicine
2. Financial support: something along the lines of Investment
3. Found a philanthropic organisation: arguably philosophy, though medicine or any high-paying job could be useful too. Here, the main determinants of your success would be your personality and a good idea for a new organisation.

Hope that helps!

RyanCarey wrote:1. Direct action: best course is Medicine

IMO best course is veterinary medicine. I guess a veterinarian can help a lot of more individuals and avoid a lot of more suffering than a doctor.

I agree with the principle you're using Daniel. More animals are in more suffering with less assistance than humans.
So you think becoming a vet would help? How?

If you are serious about making the greatest possible impact with your life, I would look at the careers talk from Giving What We Can (www.givingwhatwecan.org). Here is a link for the talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAnh2FAp ... ture=feedf. They argue that the best thing for you to do is to put yourself in a position to have a lot of money in the future. To do this, it is best for you to try to get into the very best college that you can.