IMPACTivism: Get better at doing good

Logan Sullivan - Advocate, seeker, writer, humanitarian
IMPACTivism: Get better at doing good

IM·PACT·iv·ism /ˈimˌpaktəˌvizəm/ verb | the intersection of rational compassion and effective action, where we are each incredibly capable of impacting positive change for the people, non-human animals and environmental causes needing it most. The IMPACTivism Podcast explores ideas we can consider, choices we can make, and actions we can take, as individuals, to get better at doing good.

  1. 18 Is 'humanitarian carnivore' an oxymoron?

    06/08/2017

    18 Is 'humanitarian carnivore' an oxymoron?

    Humanitarians believe vulnerable human beings deserve not to suffer and that the powerful should be prevented from harming or exploiting them. But what if we replace 'human' being with 'sentient' being? A special thank you to HÄANA for permission to use the music in this episode. You can find all her links in the show notes right here: logansullivan.com/e18/

    49 min
  2. 17 To Drain the Pond or Dive In - Omission Bias

    05/17/2017

    17 To Drain the Pond or Dive In - Omission Bias

    Peter Singer's famous pond thought experiment threw me in to philosophical dilemma over a decade ago. My mind urged me fish for any reason why it's conclusions were invalid, for any escape from accepting its inconvenient implications. I never found one.

    45 min
  3. 16 Joy, Impact and Fulfillment - Social circles and global circles

    05/04/2017

    16 Joy, Impact and Fulfillment - Social circles and global circles

    Longterm fulfillment lays at the intersection of joy and high impact. This episode will help you find the ideal intersection, and understand it. We also discuss push-decisions vs. pull-decisions and our global circles vs. social circles. A special thank you to HÄANA for permission to use the music in this episode. You can find all her links in the show notes right here: logansullivan.com/e16/

    1h 16m
  4. 15 Kidnapping Presidents - Self-regarding and other-regarding actions

    04/20/2017

    15 Kidnapping Presidents - Self-regarding and other-regarding actions

    Self-regarding actions improve our own wellbeing, which incidentally rubs off on those around us. Other-regarding actions directly target others' wellbeing, and we find fulfillment in turn. In this episode, we explore how kidnapping all the world leaders for a magic tea ceremony would only be the second best way to solve all the world's problems at once -- logistically unlikely to work out. And the very best is even less likely to happen in our lifetime. So, in knowing the difference between those actions that impact our direct social circles and those actions that impact the wider world, we can focus on more pragmatic approaches. A special thank you to HÄANA and Cello Joe for permission to use the music in this episode. This episode includes music from HÄANA's Nyxyss project, as well. You can find all their links in the show notes right here: logansullivan.com/e15/

    49 min
  5. 14 Tragedy or Statistic - Scope insensitivity bias

    04/13/2017

    14 Tragedy or Statistic - Scope insensitivity bias

    "The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic." When unaware of our natural Scope Insensitivity Bias, individual, relatable humans become masses, and masses become abstract, unrelatable statistics. A special thank you to HÄANA and Cello Joe for permission to use the music in this episode. You can find all their links in the show notes right here: logansullivan.com/e14/

    29 min
  6. 13 Selective Perception - Why don't people believe in science?

    04/11/2017

    13 Selective Perception - Why don't people believe in science?

    Selective perception allows our expectations or existing frames of mind to affect how we perceive inputs. If we aspire to impact positive change, we ought to seek the most accurate model of the world we're capable of perceiving? Unfortunately, we're wired to seek potentially inaccurate, yet convenient models of the world instead, the type that does not threaten our current way of life or require from us energy from us. So why don't some people believe in science? Well, selective perception is part of the answer. A special thank you to HÄANA and Cello Joe for permission to use the music in this episode. You can find all their links in the show notes right here: logansullivan.com/e13/

    36 min
  7. 12 Does the possibilist actually study?

    04/05/2017

    12 Does the possibilist actually study?

    Remember those Thursday nights in college when you passed up on the party to stay in and study like the good student you aspired to be, but just ended up watching TV instead... Well, we do the same thing when trying to be the good people we aspire to be. But we don't have to. Actualists and possibilists often make different choices. One makes the best possible choice, regardless of its feasibility and their likelihood of honoring that choice, and the other makes the pragmatic one they believe they’ll stick to. In moments of ambition, we can set energized goals, make resolutions, sign up for gym memberships and diets, and try to radically commit to methods of living more ethically. But if it’s the case, as is often is, that this energy and ambition won’t last at this level over time, we sometimes set ourselves up for failure. When it comes to the gym and weight loss, little harm is done. But when considering our ambitions to increase our positive impact, and decrease our negative impact, failure to act ethically as a result of setting unreasonable goals and giving up, this comes with more substantial consequences. In this episode, I discuss actualism and possibilism as frameworks for thinking about our commitments and ambitions, as well as the actions that follow, or sometimes fail to follow. I also delve into the potential downsides of militant commitments to ideals. A special thank you to HÄANA and Cello Joe for permission to use the music in this episode. You can find all their links in the show notes right here: http://logansullivan.com/e12/

    28 min
  8. 11 Save-the-World Paralysis

    04/04/2017

    11 Save-the-World Paralysis

    When we want to improve the world, we sometimes find ourselves stuck in analysis paralysis, searching for the perfect, catch-all solution to solve all the world's problems, all at once. But, unfortunately, this one-pill-weight-loss-solution to all human, non-human animal, and environmental problems does not exist. But specific solutions to isolated priority issues do exist, and we are capable of doing the research to understand, given our circumstance, which of these solutions are within reach. In this episode, I speak from a great deal of experience in how we can find ourselves inactive, standing behind a stubborn idealism that renders us useless. And I attempt to offer some encouragement and advice for avoiding this trap. A special thank you to HÄANA (www.thisishaana.com) and Cello Joe (www.CelloJoe.com) for the music in this episode.

    18 min
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About

IM·PACT·iv·ism /ˈimˌpaktəˌvizəm/ verb | the intersection of rational compassion and effective action, where we are each incredibly capable of impacting positive change for the people, non-human animals and environmental causes needing it most. The IMPACTivism Podcast explores ideas we can consider, choices we can make, and actions we can take, as individuals, to get better at doing good.

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