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How happy are you? Rate this from 1-10. Is there any way to quantify emotion? Emotion is subjective and you have to ask people to rate their emotion somehow.

How happy are you? Rate this from 1-10. Is there any way to quantify emotion? Emotion is subjective and you have to ask people to rate their emotion somehow. A good study would ask people twenty years later what the most meaningful and memorable thing they did was, and how important it was to them. People would then simply rationalise their investment in the children, right? I believe this would be the, "Sunk Cost fallacy". The parents invested so much time and effort into the child. Why would they suddenly denigrate their years of back breaking labour? They would definitely view it in a positive light down the road.

nrinaudo 11y ago
It could also be, and I know that this is something of a radical opinion, that being a parent makes (some) people happy? That the long nights and loss of freedom are offset by the moments of pure happiness that a kid brings? I mean, you appear to have about as much potential for emotion as a broken toaster so this obviously does not apply to you, but the first smile, the first time a baby catches your finger and hangs on to it as if his life depended on it, the many times where you're quite obviously the most important and delightful thing in his life, the feeling that at least for a little while, you're endowed with godlike wisdom and wit to someone else... I'd take all the stress and fear and tiredness of being a new father all over again to experience these. And I'm not saying that "down the road", I'm a relatively new father, my kid is only 7 months. I realise same might consider this disqualifies me - I might not capable of a rational opinion on the matter, being in the thick of it. In that case yes, sure, if we disregard the opinion of new parents and that of parents that have been parents for too long, being a parent is a horrible, horrible experience that no one should have to endure.
- lachesisdecima 11y ago
  Hehe. I understand that the way I wrote my comment might have seemed tactless, crude and crass. Apologies. Please do not misunderstand me. I perfectly understand that people find babies extremely cute. I do too. Hell, if we as a species did not, the both of us would not be here writing comments. Being a parent is indeed stressful, frightening and tiresome and I am glad that you recognise this fact. I would not know this personally due to the fact that I am not a father. However, I am self aware of my own actions. I have caused stress and fear in my parents. This would be enough to throw a person of any undertaking. However, children are cute; they are bundles of joy and parents view their lives as more complete with kids. If I had any, I would rationalise it the same way as any parent would. "It's my kid. He/She is so cute. Look at it play". However, parenting does come with an immense cost and people do rationalise their suffering. Pointing that out was the intention of my comment. However, I do not think kids are bad/malicious/horrible. They are great. They just require a lot of upkeep. Anyway, congratulations on having your kid. Things get a lot less stressful as they age.

nrinaudo 11y ago

It could also be, and I know that this is something of a radical opinion, that being a parent makes (some) people happy? That the long nights and loss of freedom are offset by the moments of pure happiness that a kid brings? I mean, you appear to have about as much potential for emotion as a broken toaster so this obviously does not apply to you, but the first smile, the first time a baby catches your finger and hangs on to it as if his life depended on it, the many times where you're quite obviously the most important and delightful thing in his life, the feeling that at least for a little while, you're endowed with godlike wisdom and wit to someone else... I'd take all the stress and fear and tiredness of being a new father all over again to experience these. And I'm not saying that "down the road", I'm a relatively new father, my kid is only 7 months. I realise same might consider this disqualifies me - I might not capable of a rational opinion on the matter, being in the thick of it. In that case yes, sure, if we disregard the opinion of new parents and that of parents that have been parents for too long, being a parent is a horrible, horrible experience that no one should have to endure.

lachesisdecima 11y ago
Hehe. I understand that the way I wrote my comment might have seemed tactless, crude and crass. Apologies. Please do not misunderstand me. I perfectly understand that people find babies extremely cute. I do too. Hell, if we as a species did not, the both of us would not be here writing comments. Being a parent is indeed stressful, frightening and tiresome and I am glad that you recognise this fact. I would not know this personally due to the fact that I am not a father. However, I am self aware of my own actions. I have caused stress and fear in my parents. This would be enough to throw a person of any undertaking. However, children are cute; they are bundles of joy and parents view their lives as more complete with kids. If I had any, I would rationalise it the same way as any parent would. "It's my kid. He/She is so cute. Look at it play". However, parenting does come with an immense cost and people do rationalise their suffering. Pointing that out was the intention of my comment. However, I do not think kids are bad/malicious/horrible. They are great. They just require a lot of upkeep. Anyway, congratulations on having your kid. Things get a lot less stressful as they age.