You have more than one goal, and that's fine

Abstract

Many people new to effective altruism feel that cost-effectiveness analysis should govern all their choices. Although cost-effectiveness analysis is a useful tool for improving the world, it should not be applied to every choice in life. Humans have multiple goals, some of which are not related to improving the world. When considering a potential action, it is helpful to be clear what goal that action is meant to achieve. For example, donating money to a friend’s fundraiser is a way of supporting a friendship, whereas donating to a carefully-selected charity is a way of making the world a better place. It is not necessary to subject every spending decision to the dictates of cost-effectiveness analysis. Rather, one can allocate specific funds for the goal of improving the world, and then apply cost-effectiveness analysis when deciding how to use those specific funds. – AI-generated abstract.