What We Don't Do: Inaction in the Face of Suffering and the Drive to Do More

For the first time in human history, our inactions cause far more harm to others than our actions ever could.

"A refreshing and necessary reminder on our ability...to help those in need." -- Moby

When we think about whether we are good people leading a good life, we usually think about actions. Bad people do bad things that hurt others. Good people do good things that help others, and they avoid doing bad things. Simple.

But while our actions certainly have consequences, today our inactions have far greater and far graver consequences. Bad actions can result in the suffering of a few or several dozen others; inaction can result in the extreme misery of thousands.

It wasn't always this way. For nearly our entire history as a species, we lived in small groups with minimal resources, leaving our ability to help others limited and the consequences of inaction modest. It is not so today. Thanks to massive global populations, huge wealth disparities, and modern technologies, the average person now has more power to improve the lives of others than nearly anyone who has ever lived. But the flip side of that great power is the dizzyingly high cost of inaction, in which lives can hang in the balance with each dollar and hour of time we spend.

This is a book about what we don't do. It's about our failures to act and the suffering others endure as a result. It's also about the incredible good that can be achieved when we cultivate an internal drive to do more.

"Confronts our tendency toward feel-good, surface-level altruism and instead challenges us to...embrace discomfort and sacrifice at a level akin to high-performing athletes." -- David Goldberg, Co-Founder and CEO, Founders Pledge

"A deep dive into waters often given only a glancing touch...Hopefully this message will spread through and beyond its readers." -- Dr. George Church, Co-Founder, Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Author: Nick Cooney
Publisher: Regalo Press
Published: 04/15/2025
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9798888455340

About the Author
Nick Cooney is the founder and managing partner of venture capital firm Lever VC and the founder and board chair of Lever Foundation, a non-profit focused on advancing a humane and sustainable food system. He is the author of several previous books on effective charity and philanthropy work, including How to Be Great at Doing Good: Why Results Are What Count and How Smart Charity Can Change the World and Change of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change. Cooney advises on effective giving and previously founded and co-founded the non-profits The Humane League and the Good Food Institute. A graduate of Hofstra University, he lives in the greater New York City region.