5 ms·

It's going to be bad. I don't expect to have a conventional retirement like my parents did. By that point, society will not longer be able to support a large co

It's going to be bad. I don't expect to have a conventional retirement like my parents did. By that point, society will not longer be able to support a large cohort of people who just consume and don't contribute. I don't understand how anyone can still justify having children, knowing how they will suffer as a result of what we have done to the planet.

ashton314 5y ago
I believe it is incumbent upon those of us in privileged positions of education and wealth to have children that we teach and raise to be contributors in solving the world’s problems. Raising one child well goes a lot further to helping people out then not having a child at all.
- mlang23 5y ago
  Sure, only "priviledged" people should have children. Elitist thinking ahoy! Nope man, these days, with the amount of people on this planet, nobody really needs more of them, no matter what nice elitist excuse the individual finds.
  - hutzlibu 5y ago
    "Sure, only "priviledged" people should have children." No one said that. It was simply said, that those who have a mind and use them - totally should have children - because otherwise only those have children who do not use their mind so much. And this would not be helping.
    - mlang23 5y ago
      Statistics is telling the reverse story. The more educated you are, the less likely it is that you will have children. Wonder why? :-)
      - hutzlibu 5y ago
        Well 2 reasons I think: one is money. The more educated - the more likely to go for career and not for children. The 2. overly living in the head.
    - bryanrasmussen 5y ago
      Idiocracy was very entertaining but, I am happy to report, not actually scientifically accurate.
  - ashton314 5y ago
    > Sure, only “privileged” people should have children That is not at all what I said. If you are trying to have a net positive effect in the world, and you have the means to do so, raising a child with a good education, instilling the best of your values in them, etc., is a fantastic force multiplier and a good way to ensure that someone like you keeps being a net good in the world. Beyond that, raising children has brought me more joy than anything else. I would not wish a childless life upon anybody. I am optimistic that we can teach teach our children to find solutions to the problems they will have. This is not just passing the buck: every generation needs to work for the betterment of mankind. I just want to help raise the smartest, strongest generation yet.
    - mlang23 5y ago
      > I would not wish a childless life upon anybody Wow, what a slap in the face of people who cant get children for one reason or another. Its fine that you are happy with parenting, but please consider what sentences like this can do to others.
michaelmrose 5y ago
So you think extinction is preferable to solving our problems? Suicide isn't a more moral choice when pursued by a species instead of an individual. Furthermore a world full of dumb animals isn't well situated to clean up our mess. More realistically its just making it other people's kids problem.
londons_explore 5y ago
> , knowing how they will suffer as a result of what we have done to the planet. I don't understand how people can still be having children,knowing what we have done to the mammoths. Soon there will be none left, and our children will have nothing but moss and ice. Nothing to live for. How can we bring people into a world like that?
FartyMcFarter 5y ago
Furthermore, having children is the individual decision that increases CO2 emissions the most. If you decided to have children, you should keep that in mind before criticizing others for driving a car.

ashton314 5y ago

I believe it is incumbent upon those of us in privileged positions of education and wealth to have children that we teach and raise to be contributors in solving the world’s problems. Raising one child well goes a lot further to helping people out then not having a child at all.

mlang23 5y ago
Sure, only "priviledged" people should have children. Elitist thinking ahoy! Nope man, these days, with the amount of people on this planet, nobody really needs more of them, no matter what nice elitist excuse the individual finds.
- hutzlibu 5y ago
  "Sure, only "priviledged" people should have children." No one said that. It was simply said, that those who have a mind and use them - totally should have children - because otherwise only those have children who do not use their mind so much. And this would not be helping.
  - mlang23 5y ago
    Statistics is telling the reverse story. The more educated you are, the less likely it is that you will have children. Wonder why? :-)
    - hutzlibu 5y ago
      Well 2 reasons I think: one is money. The more educated - the more likely to go for career and not for children. The 2. overly living in the head.
  - bryanrasmussen 5y ago
    Idiocracy was very entertaining but, I am happy to report, not actually scientifically accurate.
- ashton314 5y ago
  > Sure, only “privileged” people should have children That is not at all what I said. If you are trying to have a net positive effect in the world, and you have the means to do so, raising a child with a good education, instilling the best of your values in them, etc., is a fantastic force multiplier and a good way to ensure that someone like you keeps being a net good in the world. Beyond that, raising children has brought me more joy than anything else. I would not wish a childless life upon anybody. I am optimistic that we can teach teach our children to find solutions to the problems they will have. This is not just passing the buck: every generation needs to work for the betterment of mankind. I just want to help raise the smartest, strongest generation yet.
  - mlang23 5y ago
    > I would not wish a childless life upon anybody Wow, what a slap in the face of people who cant get children for one reason or another. Its fine that you are happy with parenting, but please consider what sentences like this can do to others.

michaelmrose 5y ago

So you think extinction is preferable to solving our problems? Suicide isn't a more moral choice when pursued by a species instead of an individual. Furthermore a world full of dumb animals isn't well situated to clean up our mess. More realistically its just making it other people's kids problem.

londons_explore 5y ago

> , knowing how they will suffer as a result of what we have done to the planet. I don't understand how people can still be having children,knowing what we have done to the mammoths. Soon there will be none left, and our children will have nothing but moss and ice. Nothing to live for. How can we bring people into a world like that?

FartyMcFarter 5y ago

Furthermore, having children is the individual decision that increases CO2 emissions the most. If you decided to have children, you should keep that in mind before criticizing others for driving a car.