Many of those who have made the biggest difference throughout history are people who have successfully pursued various issues. Rosa Parks is one of the most famous examples. Her refusal to give up her seat to a white man on the bus sparked widespread protests, which in turn led to the Supreme Court ruling that segregated buses were unconstitutional. Viktor Zhdanov, as we mentioned earlier, is another example that fewer people have heard of: he lobbied for the WHO to launch a campaign to eradicate smallpox, thus helping to save millions of lives.
Communicating ideas, like research, has great potential because ideas can be spread quickly and cheaply. It enables a small group to make an impact far greater than if they themselves had donated money or worked directly on the problem.
Despite the potential, there are certain factors that mean that spreading ideas is probably overlooked in relation to how big an effect it can have. On the one hand, there is often a lack of commercial incentives to spread socially important ideas. To a large extent, it is done by people who are motivated by making the world better rather than by making a lot of money. It can also be uncomfortable to challenge the status quo, and often it is difficult to see the effects of one’s efforts, which is why it can be less motivating than directly helping others.
Finally, this is also an area where the most successful initiatives make a much bigger difference than the average ones. The most influential people manage to influence millions of people – just look at Greta Thunberg – while others struggle to reach more than their closest ones. Therefore, if you are good at communicating and influencing people, this is probably the best thing you can do.
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Communicating ideas – article by 80,000 Hours