5 ms·

Each to their own - I don't see it as a bad thing. Having children has made me happier and more fulfilled in ways that I could never have imagined. You cannot

Each to their own - I don't see it as a bad thing. Having children has made me happier and more fulfilled in ways that I could never have imagined. You cannot know the feeling of it until you do. You cannot really understand it until you do. It changes your world.

Aaargh20318 9y ago
> Having children has made me happier and more fulfilled in ways that I could never have imagined. That's my main problem with it, it's super selfish to procreate. I don't feel I have the right to force new life (with all the pain and suffering that entails) onto this world for the sake of making me happy. I love my potential children too much to do that to them.
- saltedmd5 9y ago
  I think this is probably the most self-indulgent thing I've ever read.
  - coisnepe 9y ago
    Is it just a coincidence that there was an article about this very thing a few days ago here? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15869983 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15869983
    - Aaargh20318 9y ago
      In my case, yes. I've been an antinatalist for a long time.
  - msla 9y ago
    It's self-indulgent to not have children? How is it not self-indulgent to have a child to fulfill your own sense of purpose? You are utterly alien to a lot of people.
- adjkant 9y ago
  I don't want to have kids in the slightest, but this is not accurate at all. You can have kids for both reasons, and enjoying the lives of your kids is not wrong if you love and care for them for their sake alone as well. In fact, when I tell people that I don't want kids, people go the other way and tell me I'm being selfish not to.
- dwheeler 9y ago
  That's rediculous. For most people, having children is the most selfless possible thing. Kids are extremely expensive.
  - Froyoh 9y ago
    Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish.
    - msla 9y ago
      > Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish. People argue all kinds of insane things. Having kids to fulfill your own sense of purpose is very selfish.
      - jwdunne 9y ago
        On the flip side, there is some probability that your child may save 1 or more lives. On the flip flip side, there is some chance your child may take 1 or more lives. Arguing about the selfishness of procreation is silly. It is your biological purpose. Whether you choose to run with that or not is down to you. It is not selfish if you choose whatever way. As a parent, my children come first. I would die for them. You make that choice when you have children. That is NOT selfish.
  - Aaargh20318 9y ago
    Use our planets limited resources because you think your DNA needs to survive ? Of course it's selfish. Give one reason to have children that doesn't include words like "I want".
    - jwdunne 9y ago
      Give one reason why you do anything you do without "I want". Wanting something isn't selfish. It entirely depends on what it is you actually want. Oh yes, you could argue from a hardcore libertarian stance that altruism does not exist and every action is inherently selfish but is that a good way of looking at the world? I think not.

Aaargh20318 9y ago

> Having children has made me happier and more fulfilled in ways that I could never have imagined. That's my main problem with it, it's super selfish to procreate. I don't feel I have the right to force new life (with all the pain and suffering that entails) onto this world for the sake of making me happy. I love my potential children too much to do that to them.

saltedmd5 9y ago
I think this is probably the most self-indulgent thing I've ever read.
- coisnepe 9y ago
  Is it just a coincidence that there was an article about this very thing a few days ago here? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15869983 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15869983
  - Aaargh20318 9y ago
    In my case, yes. I've been an antinatalist for a long time.
- msla 9y ago
  It's self-indulgent to not have children? How is it not self-indulgent to have a child to fulfill your own sense of purpose? You are utterly alien to a lot of people.
adjkant 9y ago
I don't want to have kids in the slightest, but this is not accurate at all. You can have kids for both reasons, and enjoying the lives of your kids is not wrong if you love and care for them for their sake alone as well. In fact, when I tell people that I don't want kids, people go the other way and tell me I'm being selfish not to.
dwheeler 9y ago
That's rediculous. For most people, having children is the most selfless possible thing. Kids are extremely expensive.
- Froyoh 9y ago
  Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish.
  - msla 9y ago
    > Some night even argue that not having kids is selfish. People argue all kinds of insane things. Having kids to fulfill your own sense of purpose is very selfish.
    - jwdunne 9y ago
      On the flip side, there is some probability that your child may save 1 or more lives. On the flip flip side, there is some chance your child may take 1 or more lives. Arguing about the selfishness of procreation is silly. It is your biological purpose. Whether you choose to run with that or not is down to you. It is not selfish if you choose whatever way. As a parent, my children come first. I would die for them. You make that choice when you have children. That is NOT selfish.
- Aaargh20318 9y ago
  Use our planets limited resources because you think your DNA needs to survive ? Of course it's selfish. Give one reason to have children that doesn't include words like "I want".
  - jwdunne 9y ago
    Give one reason why you do anything you do without "I want". Wanting something isn't selfish. It entirely depends on what it is you actually want. Oh yes, you could argue from a hardcore libertarian stance that altruism does not exist and every action is inherently selfish but is that a good way of looking at the world? I think not.