Young Idealism Is Not Misguided, Ctd 2

I have to ask it: what would Robin Hanson tell a 25-year-old kid, who "had a vague inkling about how to make a difference but didn't know how to do it." Would he have empowered that young man to achieve every inch of his possibility, to embrace every chance for greatness, to throw his energy and intelligence at idealist causes?
If that 25-year-old came into Hanson's office and said "I want to 'attach myself' to causes like helping kids get an education and helping people who are living in poverty to get decent jobs and work. I want to make sure people don't have to go to the ER just to get health care." Would Hanson have told him "well then, you should not waste your time with charity, but instead you should learn and network. Save your money and let interest compound for charities later."
And when the 25-year-old kid doubled down and said "But a group of churches is willing to hire me to be a 'community organizer, should I take the job?" would Hanson have said:

News flash: you are just one of seven billion, so you aren’t going to personally make much difference. The world will have nearly as many problems worth solving then as now, with or without your help.

I am sure glad Hanson wasn't around to say that to this guy.

While my vitriol about many of Mr. Obama's policies remains intact, I am incredibly grateful that a man with a sturdy rudder and a patient brain is in charge of our country. I am grateful to those churches, 28 years ago, who hired a skinny kid to go throw his life away on altruism. I am grateful that people like Mr. Obama exist: people who want to improve the human condition in the present. People who don't think that progress of the Top 1% pulls the rest of society upwards, but rather that by raising the rest of society up from the bottom, the Top 1% is allowed to rise higher as a result.

But perhaps most of all I am grateful to my parents, for never once putting a damper on my own wild dreams and absurd hopes for the future.

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