Michael Plant

Listen back to @michaeldplant.bsky.social on Spencer Greenberg's 'Clearer Thinking' Podcast where they discuss topics in moral philosophy: podcast.clearerthinking.org/episode/280/...

🚨New podcast out 🚨 @spencrgreenberg.bsky.social and I go wonderfully deep on the big issues about doing good and improving wellbeing.

Link: podcast.clearerthinking.org/episode/280/...

Summary:

Academics: you work on 'happiness'? You can't measure that.

Also academics: oh, did you see we went up the rankings?

Out today: www.theguardian.com/education/ng...

🚨New research🚨I've just had a co-authored paper on moral uncertainty come out in Ergo.

We develop a new 'moral marketplace' theory that can, unlike the alternatives, justify donation splitting - and has some other major theoretical advantages too!

journals.publishing.umich.edu/ergo/article...

The Happiness Factory: An ISQOLS 2025 Story - Happier Lives Institute Our researcher, Ben, reflects on his time at the ISQOLs and the impact of the Happier Factory exercise that we ran at the event.

Where do people give money to if you give them info on charity impact *and* wear top hats? We ran an experiment, 'The Happiness Factory', to find out...

www.happierlivesinstitute.org/2025/08/27/r...

I sometimes dress up. I sometimes go to conferences. Today, I'm doing both for @isqols.bsky.social to promote @happierlives.bsky.social's 'Happiness Factory', a giving game where we give people real money and ask them to choose which charity to give to.

HLI is recruiting a Development Manager! - Happier Lives Institute We are hiring a Development Manager to join our team

HLI is hiring a Development Manager! Come work for the best organisation in the world and raise funds for the most impactful organisations in the world!

Info: www.happierlivesinstitute.org/2025/07/15/d...

Apply here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Deadline is 27th July, i.e. nex Friday

Zimbabwe grandmas giving 45 minutes of therapy– among the most effective ways to boost wellbeing, says HLI meta-analysis/review/CEA.

bit.ly/44cvnh0 Both evaluators had ~confidence in main results. Also critiques & suggestions; authors responded in detail. ->

@happierlives.bsky.social turns 6 today! 🥳🎉

All the improving world happiness stuff is cool, but, really, I'd like to thank all those people who made it possible for my parents to finally stop asking me "So, Michael, what are you going to do with a philosophy degree?" 😎

People often complain that happiness surveys are 'subjective'.

But, happiness is a feeling - we're measuring something subjective.

Yet, subjective =/= arbitrary. People don't make up their scores at random. They base them on how good/bad they feel.

People substantially underestimate the impact of asking good questions to researchers.

You might think it has no impact, but I've now started multiple projects because people asked me good questions I hadn't thought of and didn't have answers to. I'm sure others are the same.

Aim at decency, not sainthood | Michael Plant

Is giving just 1% of your income to effective charities the minimum for being a decent person?
@michaeldplant.bsky.social for @iai.tv:
iai.tv/articles/aim...

Aim at decency, not sainthood | Michael Plant

What's the moral price of decency? Why giving 1% might be enough.

My piece for @iai.tv

iai.tv/articles/aim...

It's summer, so obviously it's time to go into windowless rooms at conferences and discuss how to make the world better.

I'm looking forward to attending the Effective Giving Summit, EAGlobal London, AIM's Unconference, and a @pureearthnow.bsky.social dinner all in the next 7 days!

Money Can Buy Happiness — This Oxford Philosopher Says Charities Should Pay Attention The world’s first review measuring the wellbeing impact that charities create with donors' money points to a valuable paradigm shift for philanthropy.

Converting your cash into a happiness multiplier? We're featured this week in @insidephilanthropy.com

Thanks for the write-up @wendyparis.bsky.social

@michaeldplant.bsky.social

www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/money-c...

Unpaywalled link (you have to click through): lnkd.in/d5qsAvSY

Paywalled link: www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/money-c...

Apparently that philosopher is me.

Delighted to have done an interview with Inside Philanthropy about how taking happiness seriously can - and should - shake up giving.

Link 👇

worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/givi...

Two months ago, I was so proud that my chapter in the @worldhappiness.report came out.

Why? It's the first global comparison of charities and it provides the strongest evidence yet that best charities are 100x better than the average.

Link👇

I feel like Lurtz was morally ambitious in his own way...

Does your job feel pointless? This might be the answer. What if we measured success in terms of how much good we do?

From this @vox.com article: www.vox.com/future-perfe...

This is such zinger. Career advice from @rutgerbregman.com 👏👏👏

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Just seen this new paper. When Does Charity Effectiveness Matter to Donors? The Role of Ratings and Expectations about Cost-Effectiveness👇

I should add @happierlives.bsky.socialdoes not publish the World Happiness Report! I've asked that to be changed.

In other news, I am apparently a 36-year-old happiness researcher who does interviews. My interview with CNBC 👇

www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/04/...

A closing thought: we can fight back, but we can do so in a way that rejects Trump and what he embodies.

4. Through global altruism
Here's a link to HLI's report on charites www.happierlivesinstitute.org/world-happin...

3. Change the national debate

2. Rebuild the local social fabric