I am an impact-driven, open-minded, and truth-seeking thinker and doer. I highly value flow, depth, and connection. I strive to be a great learner and a great teacher, and I enjoy learning in different contexts. What I learn in one area I try to translate to others. As a methodological omnivore, I try to employ the tools best suited for a project, whether that’s building a quantitative model or creating a safe space for authentic communication and decision-making.
Although this description seems to imply my activity is scattered, I focus on what I find most essential. I take on few projects and give them my full attention. My professional path is to contribute to building the effective altruism community and improve the prospects of the long-term future. My personal path is to connect with great people.
I like to explore and experiment and I am critical in my selection. As a result, it is a challenge to embrace slip-ups, mistakes, weaknesses, and to let go of the expectations of others. Bringing self-acceptance and self-improvement together in myself is another challenge.
I try to reject binary thinking and engage with the complexity of our world; ignoring complexity is dangerous. At the same time, it is easy to become lost, discouraged, or paralyzed in a complex and nuanced world. Therefore I try to focus on the big picture and clarify it where possible. In other cases, I try to strike forward despite the uncertainty. In a complex system, impact and information cannot be gained solely by thinking. Action and organization is required.
Lastly, I highly value feedback and transparency. I value feedback in many forms: communicated by people, or via the signals visible in a system. Feedback is crucial to improve one’s performance and fit with the environment. I also like to give feedback.
Contact
You can give me feedback here (anonymous).
Linkedin profile here. (I don’t reply quickly on LinkedIn)
You can email me on sieberozendal[at]gmail.com (private) or siebe[at]effectiefaltruisme.nl (professional)
Current projects
Since May 2021, I am the Community Director at Effective Altruism Netherlands. It is a job I deeply enjoy. Briefly put, my goals are:
- Professionalise and streamline the organisation & community
- Kickstart multiple university groups
- Deepen engagement of current members
You can find out more about our plans & achievements in our report and on our website.
I am also trying to recover from chronic fatigue syndrome, which I have since November 2020.
Past projects
(see also my Research page)
From February to July 2020 I worked as Research Associate for the Institute for Advanced Sustainbility Studies – Potsdam, Germany. I worked on the RECIPES project as researcher and coordinator of 9 case studies. We researched the friction between and reconciliation of precaution, science, and innovation. Case studies include biotech, AI, and seven more. I quit because I felt too lonely in the work, exacerbated by the corona pandemic.
In November 2019, I finished my MA Philosophy. I specialized in longtermism and (moral) uncertainty. My thesis is called Uncertainty about the expected moral value of the long-term future: is human extinction risk reduction valuable?
From 2016 to the end of 2019, I built and maintained the local effective altruism community, EA Groningen, as president . I focused on coaching individuals and bringing people together, such as academics, animal advocates, or people interested in artificial superintelligence. I met up a lot for coffee! (actually mint tea..)
In 2019, I researched Comprehensive Existential Risk Assessment at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge.
In 2019, I wrote about strategy research and strategic uncertainty about global catastrophic and existential risk.
In 2018, I helped to found the Happier Lives Institute, an institute focusing on finding high-impact actions to improve subjective well-being. My contribution was small in effort, but large in result.
In 2018, I organized the Values-to-Actions Retreat. We brought together about 30 altruists to work through their values, to translate them into actionable plans, and to take action.
In 2018, I researched the social dimension of moral behavior as part of my MSc in Strategic Innovation Management.
Personal interests
I love to dance (salsa and free form), draw, write, climb, run, and do many sports. Through this, I have learned about play, creativity, and learning from mistakes. I like to read and learn about big topics like nature, evolution, and complexity. I also love to just connect with people.
You can find my art on instagram.