“In defense of quantifying suffering” by frances_lorenz

Author's note: Hi everyone! This is a cross-post from my blog. It's a short, accessible piece intended for those who find the idea of measuring suffering "icky," uncomfortable, or cold. I've noticed this as a fairly common reaction to effective altruism, and I wanted to write from a place of sincerely empathising with it. My goal here was to explore how quantification can complement our natural empathy rather than replace it. Is it more difficult to live with AIDS for a year or to have blindness for a year? There is a kind of person who wrinkles their nose at this question. I know because, I wrinkled my nose at it back in 2019, as I paged through my girlfriend's copy of Will MacAskill's Doing Good Better. "I mean, ok, I get that you can try to measure which is worse, but, um. Feels really, icky? What would [...] ---Outline:(01:38) Why we resist quantifying suffering(02:58) A necessary tool in an overwhelming world(04:26) Quantification as a complement to empathy--- First published: March 21st, 2025 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/Reb7bMJfaxwMs4sLD/in-defense-of-quantifying-suffering --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.