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> Isn't this what humans like to strive for? Making an impact, being remembered after death, thus living forever. That's one of the things a family (with kids)

by lgas 8y ago

> Isn't this what humans like to strive for? Making an impact, being remembered after death, thus living forever. That's one of the things a family (with kids) helps you get over, you know, the whole "living on through your kids" thing. If they don't end up as homeless drug addicts, it probably kinda works. I don't know. Everyone has kids. Having kids is technically making an impact, but I think that when most people say they want to make an impact, or to accomplish something great, or to change the world, they don't mean by doing something that almost everyone else does.

TeMPOraL 8y ago
Yup. Having a child seems to be the lowest common denominator of "having an impact", and it terms of improving anything around you, it's simply re-rolling the dice, hoping that your kid will end up in a position of greater influence than you. Having offspring is probably the best way to make (some of) your way of thinking outlive you, but you need to work on creating opportunities for your children if you want your way of thinking to impact anything around them.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > hoping that your kid will end up in a position of greater influence than you. No, it's hoping that you plus your kid(s) will have more impact than you alone. Or that your kid will magnify your impact just by existing (which there is some evidence for if your chosen venue of impact is electoral politics, at least.)
fps_doug 8y ago
> I don't know. Everyone has kids. Having kids is technically making an impact, but I think that when most people say they want to make an impact, or to accomplish something great, or to change the world, they don't mean by doing something that almost everyone else does. I guess that's what the "help getting over it" part was referring to. In your teens/early twenties you dream of changing the world, and after reality sank in, you do the next best thing and go for kids because you shape them and so live on through them, mission accomplished, impact has been made. Humans are great at bullshitting themselves. (Not trying to sound harsh or implying kids are worthless or anything, but it really seems to be a fallback plan for a lot of people)

by lgas 8y ago

TeMPOraL 8y ago

Yup. Having a child seems to be the lowest common denominator of "having an impact", and it terms of improving anything around you, it's simply re-rolling the dice, hoping that your kid will end up in a position of greater influence than you. Having offspring is probably the best way to make (some of) your way of thinking outlive you, but you need to work on creating opportunities for your children if you want your way of thinking to impact anything around them.

dragonwriter 8y ago
> hoping that your kid will end up in a position of greater influence than you. No, it's hoping that you plus your kid(s) will have more impact than you alone. Or that your kid will magnify your impact just by existing (which there is some evidence for if your chosen venue of impact is electoral politics, at least.)

fps_doug 8y ago

> I don't know. Everyone has kids. Having kids is technically making an impact, but I think that when most people say they want to make an impact, or to accomplish something great, or to change the world, they don't mean by doing something that almost everyone else does. I guess that's what the "help getting over it" part was referring to. In your teens/early twenties you dream of changing the world, and after reality sank in, you do the next best thing and go for kids because you shape them and so live on through them, mission accomplished, impact has been made. Humans are great at bullshitting themselves. (Not trying to sound harsh or implying kids are worthless or anything, but it really seems to be a fallback plan for a lot of people)