Talk with an experienced activist and reduce suffering
Want to talk with someone who has tried for decades to make the world a better place?
And support a harm-reduction organization?
And maybe have a few laughs?
And support a harm-reduction organization?
And maybe have a few laughs?
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Cheers, and welcome to One Step for Activists, a new project to support advocates.
Currently, I am in my fourth decade as a utilitarian- and Effective-Altruist-adjacent activist, currently running One Step for Animals with Anne Green, my wife of 30+ years. Since 1986, I have known thousands of advocates and worked closely with hundreds of them. My Wikipedia entry says more – and much of it is true! If you’d like even more, you can check out MattBall.org. If you want way too much more, my third book, a follow-up to The Accidental Activist, is Losing My Religions. It is memoir, essays, life lessons, philosophy, and photography; the eBook version is free at LosingMyReligions.net. You might not like all of it (no one does, especially not Anne) but it covers how I got to where I am today. Given my history (relevant points here) and the fact that I (hopefully) have several decades left to make the world a better place (if I can kick the habit of almost dying) I would like to offer you my experience and life lessons as a counselor / coach / advisor / sympathetic ear. (Testimonials below.) I believe we can do more to make the world a better place if we’re happy, strong, and resilient. If you’d rather speak with a non-male, Anne is happy to help. And, as discussed in the book, she’s also the reason I’m alive at age 55. We don’t charge for a chat. (Especially not $500/hour!) Instead, we ask for a donation to the harm-reduction organization One Step for Animals at whatever level you can afford. (All donations to One Step are truly doubled – no gimmick – so the dollars go twice as far to reduce suffering.) We can meet over Zoom / Hangouts or have phone call(s). It doesn’t have to be a 50-minute hour. It doesn’t have to be twice-a-week for the next ten years. Whatever is most useful. If you are interested or have questions (don’t we all) please contact us: [email protected] or [email protected] Thanks! |
Testimonials
We have talked with people in Greece, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Spain, Brazil, North Carolina, Arizona, Michigan, Maryland, DC, and a number of people in California (make of that what you will). For obvious reasons, most of the individuals quoted below (three women and four men) would like to stay anonymous.
From an Effective Altruist:
“I’ve found Matt to be an excellent listener, source of wisdom, and guide through tough problems and times. He understands the struggles of navigating obstacles and living a sustainable life in a world full of suffering.”
_______
A counselor in California:
“Matt has always kept a level-headed approach to helping those who wish to be life-long animal activists. He has pragmatic approaches to making real change over time. Too many activists burn out very quickly like the proverbial moth to a flame when faced with a very difficult and often discouraging reality. Matt is always calm, looking at reality, and concentrating on the slope of the curve that can bend toward compassion.”
_______
A longtime advocate who has worked at multiple major organizations:
“Matt is humble and empathetic. He is a fantastic listener, has fascinating life experience, is honest about mistakes, and offers excellent advice. I have benefited greatly from hearing his perspective as I navigate the ups and downs of the animal activist space. And he is also hilarious.”
_______
A nationally-known animal advocate:
“In addition to the normal ups-and-downs of life, animal advocates shoulder the additional burden of dealing with heartbreaking issues...often on a daily basis. And many don’t have a support structure that really “gets it.” So, having people you can talk to who really understand the challenges that advocates face is invaluable. Anne and Matt have been generous with their support and compassion during some very difficult times in my life. They have lent sympathetic ears when I needed to vent, provided advice when asked, and joined me for virtual happy hours to share some laughs. I’m fortunate to have them both in my life.”
_______
A young (compared to me) Effective Altruist:
“Matt is a communicator who is as fun to talk to as he is to read! Over the years, I have found talking to Matt fun and useful. Matt knows how to ask incisive questions, provide helpful advice, and tell a good story. He blends a personal care for people with a lifetime of experience as an activist, making him an effective friend and coach.”
_______
A founder of an EA organization:
“You know how it feels like some people are just waiting for their chance to speak? Matt’s not like that.
“Matt is a scientist. He’s logical, but still thoughtful and considerate. He listens with care. He’s also a nonprofit leader whose experience includes decades of success sprinkled with many great challenges to overcome. These qualities make Matt a strong advisor.”
_______
A founder of an EA-focused animal organization:
“Matt has been a huge influence on me, since long before I ever had the honor of meeting him. (I originally learned how to fight for animals from his book, The Animal Activist’s Handbook).
“I love that Matt thinks for himself. And I love that he focuses unwaveringly on what matters most: How to reduce suffering. To accomplish that goal, Matt is comfortable countering the conventional wisdom — and he's even comfortable countering what everyone else we know is saying.
“Matt has also been so supportive of me in launching {}. And when I heard he was offering his services to coach activists, I felt so excited! I highly recommend anyone who wants to know how to make the world better should reach out to Matt!”
“I’ve found Matt to be an excellent listener, source of wisdom, and guide through tough problems and times. He understands the struggles of navigating obstacles and living a sustainable life in a world full of suffering.”
_______
A counselor in California:
“Matt has always kept a level-headed approach to helping those who wish to be life-long animal activists. He has pragmatic approaches to making real change over time. Too many activists burn out very quickly like the proverbial moth to a flame when faced with a very difficult and often discouraging reality. Matt is always calm, looking at reality, and concentrating on the slope of the curve that can bend toward compassion.”
_______
A longtime advocate who has worked at multiple major organizations:
“Matt is humble and empathetic. He is a fantastic listener, has fascinating life experience, is honest about mistakes, and offers excellent advice. I have benefited greatly from hearing his perspective as I navigate the ups and downs of the animal activist space. And he is also hilarious.”
_______
A nationally-known animal advocate:
“In addition to the normal ups-and-downs of life, animal advocates shoulder the additional burden of dealing with heartbreaking issues...often on a daily basis. And many don’t have a support structure that really “gets it.” So, having people you can talk to who really understand the challenges that advocates face is invaluable. Anne and Matt have been generous with their support and compassion during some very difficult times in my life. They have lent sympathetic ears when I needed to vent, provided advice when asked, and joined me for virtual happy hours to share some laughs. I’m fortunate to have them both in my life.”
_______
A young (compared to me) Effective Altruist:
“Matt is a communicator who is as fun to talk to as he is to read! Over the years, I have found talking to Matt fun and useful. Matt knows how to ask incisive questions, provide helpful advice, and tell a good story. He blends a personal care for people with a lifetime of experience as an activist, making him an effective friend and coach.”
_______
A founder of an EA organization:
“You know how it feels like some people are just waiting for their chance to speak? Matt’s not like that.
“Matt is a scientist. He’s logical, but still thoughtful and considerate. He listens with care. He’s also a nonprofit leader whose experience includes decades of success sprinkled with many great challenges to overcome. These qualities make Matt a strong advisor.”
_______
A founder of an EA-focused animal organization:
“Matt has been a huge influence on me, since long before I ever had the honor of meeting him. (I originally learned how to fight for animals from his book, The Animal Activist’s Handbook).
“I love that Matt thinks for himself. And I love that he focuses unwaveringly on what matters most: How to reduce suffering. To accomplish that goal, Matt is comfortable countering the conventional wisdom — and he's even comfortable countering what everyone else we know is saying.
“Matt has also been so supportive of me in launching {}. And when I heard he was offering his services to coach activists, I felt so excited! I highly recommend anyone who wants to know how to make the world better should reach out to Matt!”