Really loved this exploration of morality in our current era and I couldn’t agree more with your perspective that more people with strong values should accumulate influence. Working hard to maintain those values while doing so is our modern crucible.
SO REAL!! Reminds me of the themes of the show "The Good Place", because it's so nuanced and nowadays most career paths will have some side-effect that doesn't align with our own values
I got asked this question for most of a decade. I worked in oil and gas, and at the same time I was a sustainability ambassador arguing against possibility of drilling in the Antarctic. Both true on the same day. I never found a way to say that at a dinner table and come out looking clean.
So yes to your main point. You don't need a perfect institution to do something worth doing. My job was remote operations, which meant fewer people flying out to rigs. Later I did carbon capture work in consulting and oil company integrations in the same stretch. On a resume all of it just reads as oil and gas.
Also, leaving looks the cleanest and does the least. The well gets drilled either way, just by someone who stopped asking. So kudos to you, for staying!
Wow, this struck home more than I can express! I studied at Sciences Po and Barnard, both schools that are extremely liberal and social impact-focused. Now I work in marketing at Pete's Coffee, which does what it can for the communities but there are obvious limits.
And Again, there are limits to what I can do in my own day-to-day work, not working on sustainability, for example. Simultaneously, my fiance runs an AI startup, so you can only imagine what kind of debates that raises internally.
thanks for sharing this: Looking at your values and how you make decisions has been quite eye-opening for me to also think about my own values and, to some extent, rationalize them in the work I'm doing :)
Ambition does not inherently make someone a good or bad person. It makes their values more consequential' is the line worth sitting with. That question, would I still make this claim if nobody were paying me, is honestly a good pressure-test for any decision, not just brand deals
As a first gen professional, it is a balancing act to exchange avenues for social mobility and keeping a moral compass that aligns with your work. Compartmentalization is the exercise that many of have us to go through because we don't have the luxury of considering moral quandaries associated with the organization or company. If there were more safety nets to fall back, then sure moral imperatives would garner more importance and weight. I think it is more about the change and impact that you can make within the siloes of the organization or company that defines your role rather than the organization or company as a whole. Keep on pressing on and don't let the haters get to you.
I’m the Head of Marketing at the School for Moral Ambition, and deeply appreciated reading your takes on our core philosophy, as these are questions we are constantly grappling with as a nonprofit operating within this system!! It’s especially relevant as we expand to AI safety as our next policy area to tackle.
I also deeply relate to the story of being a values-driven first-gen professional, but ultimately having to do something else to grow skills and get by. I started in nonprofits, and often felt like a cog in the machine with the way they get money from the “evil places” as you mentioned. I ultimately pivoted to marketing to pay my bills, but then missed doing work that was impactful.
Luckily my job now does both, and that’s the dream right ? That one day we funnel enough money into the roles that have an impact, and market them as ambitious to the best and brightest!
For now all we can do is make thoughtful morally ambitious decisions in our day-to-day life, just in the way you do about what brands you do/don’t partner with. I really commend you for that, because most people would just take the check. My hope is that ambitious people never lose site of the core values and morals that drove that ambition in the first place, and find where it intersects with the financial stability they need and deserve.
Thanks for your thoughtful breakdown of the thoughts we’re all thinking, but are maybe too scared of sharing out loud!
Wow, thank you for your comment Amanda! If it wasn’t clear enough from my essay, I’m a big fan of Moral Ambition and your work. Thank you for doing it and bringing your perspective
This is such a great conversation, and I think we have a very specific point of view as people in tech who also work in the creator space. Especially as more creative spaces tend to be anti-AI
This was so good. I've been thinking about this topic lately as a business major who hated her undergrad, wishes she could work in policy but is worried about the financial limitations, and feels dragged back to the heights of capitalism while feeling guilty about it.
Thank you for giving your nuanced take. This needs to be talked about more and I appreciate that an AI-forward creator like you is self-aware and so insightful!
Thank God that’s a former friend! To me it sounds like she was just trying to stand on a moral high ground! Every decision we make always has pros and cons, it’s using discernment that empowers us to make the best decisions that benefit not only us but those around as too
This is a deeply nuanced take, which has been unfortunately missing from this conversation.
Really loved this exploration of morality in our current era and I couldn’t agree more with your perspective that more people with strong values should accumulate influence. Working hard to maintain those values while doing so is our modern crucible.
Thank you for reading and reflecting!
SO REAL!! Reminds me of the themes of the show "The Good Place", because it's so nuanced and nowadays most career paths will have some side-effect that doesn't align with our own values
very true! love that show
I got asked this question for most of a decade. I worked in oil and gas, and at the same time I was a sustainability ambassador arguing against possibility of drilling in the Antarctic. Both true on the same day. I never found a way to say that at a dinner table and come out looking clean.
So yes to your main point. You don't need a perfect institution to do something worth doing. My job was remote operations, which meant fewer people flying out to rigs. Later I did carbon capture work in consulting and oil company integrations in the same stretch. On a resume all of it just reads as oil and gas.
Also, leaving looks the cleanest and does the least. The well gets drilled either way, just by someone who stopped asking. So kudos to you, for staying!
Thank you for sharing this 🫶”that well gets drilled anyways” fair enough
Wow, this struck home more than I can express! I studied at Sciences Po and Barnard, both schools that are extremely liberal and social impact-focused. Now I work in marketing at Pete's Coffee, which does what it can for the communities but there are obvious limits.
And Again, there are limits to what I can do in my own day-to-day work, not working on sustainability, for example. Simultaneously, my fiance runs an AI startup, so you can only imagine what kind of debates that raises internally.
thanks for sharing this: Looking at your values and how you make decisions has been quite eye-opening for me to also think about my own values and, to some extent, rationalize them in the work I'm doing :)
Thank you, means a lot especially from a fellow morningside heights girl!
Really loved reading this! I know it's not your normal content but I, for one, would love if we got more of this :)
thank you Shivana!
this was a great breakdown and take. and thank you for updating us on the outcome of the friendship because i truly would’ve been wondering!! 😂
HAHA I love that you’re as nosy as I am
Really? I always think this is a praise.
Love love love this! I had a friend once say something similar, and it made me question their intentions with that kind of comment
It’s tough out here 🫶
Ambition does not inherently make someone a good or bad person. It makes their values more consequential' is the line worth sitting with. That question, would I still make this claim if nobody were paying me, is honestly a good pressure-test for any decision, not just brand deals
As a first gen professional, it is a balancing act to exchange avenues for social mobility and keeping a moral compass that aligns with your work. Compartmentalization is the exercise that many of have us to go through because we don't have the luxury of considering moral quandaries associated with the organization or company. If there were more safety nets to fall back, then sure moral imperatives would garner more importance and weight. I think it is more about the change and impact that you can make within the siloes of the organization or company that defines your role rather than the organization or company as a whole. Keep on pressing on and don't let the haters get to you.
I’m the Head of Marketing at the School for Moral Ambition, and deeply appreciated reading your takes on our core philosophy, as these are questions we are constantly grappling with as a nonprofit operating within this system!! It’s especially relevant as we expand to AI safety as our next policy area to tackle.
I also deeply relate to the story of being a values-driven first-gen professional, but ultimately having to do something else to grow skills and get by. I started in nonprofits, and often felt like a cog in the machine with the way they get money from the “evil places” as you mentioned. I ultimately pivoted to marketing to pay my bills, but then missed doing work that was impactful.
Luckily my job now does both, and that’s the dream right ? That one day we funnel enough money into the roles that have an impact, and market them as ambitious to the best and brightest!
For now all we can do is make thoughtful morally ambitious decisions in our day-to-day life, just in the way you do about what brands you do/don’t partner with. I really commend you for that, because most people would just take the check. My hope is that ambitious people never lose site of the core values and morals that drove that ambition in the first place, and find where it intersects with the financial stability they need and deserve.
Thanks for your thoughtful breakdown of the thoughts we’re all thinking, but are maybe too scared of sharing out loud!
Wow, thank you for your comment Amanda! If it wasn’t clear enough from my essay, I’m a big fan of Moral Ambition and your work. Thank you for doing it and bringing your perspective
Always appreciate you mentioning us, and shedding light on what we’re doing. Launching on new ivy league campuses this fall, stay tuned!
This is such a great conversation, and I think we have a very specific point of view as people in tech who also work in the creator space. Especially as more creative spaces tend to be anti-AI
100%!
As long as you keep your Line of Sight and your conviction, you will never again question why you're doing what you're doing in life.
Good that you're asking yourself those questions before taking brand deals
This was so good. I've been thinking about this topic lately as a business major who hated her undergrad, wishes she could work in policy but is worried about the financial limitations, and feels dragged back to the heights of capitalism while feeling guilty about it.
Thank you for giving your nuanced take. This needs to be talked about more and I appreciate that an AI-forward creator like you is self-aware and so insightful!
Thank God that’s a former friend! To me it sounds like she was just trying to stand on a moral high ground! Every decision we make always has pros and cons, it’s using discernment that empowers us to make the best decisions that benefit not only us but those around as too
No literally
Yeah hater much