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I’m genuinely puzzled by the people around me who don’t want kids. They have stable jobs, they get to travel, they give to charity, they go to restaurants and g

I’m genuinely puzzled by the people around me who don’t want kids. They have stable jobs, they get to travel, they give to charity, they go to restaurants and go out on the weekends. It seems so dull to me. I’ve been to a lot of parties, done a lot of traveling, and it’s fine. Good, even. But to have that be your highest purpose in life? If you’re building a major company or becoming president or doing cancer research or are a schoolworker or social worker, then I can understand saying you don’t want kids because you’re doing other important things with your time. But to miss out on life’s greatest mystery and many of the extremes of human emotion, and to not experience spreading your selfhood across others in the deepest and fundamental way because you want to watch more netflix, enjoy happy hour and learn to surf… feels profoundly unimaginative and dull?

gauku 3y ago
To me, your comment perfectly captures the reason why I don’t want to have kids - it’s all about the parent! Maybe the act of bringing a new life into this world should give more consideration to things from that new life’s perspective.
deleted 3y ago
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thunfischbrot 3y ago
The parents I experience around me are the very definition of dull. They lament simultaneously all the drawbacks one expects from raising children, having no time to do what they want, worrying about their children all the time, experiencing stress from financially stretching themselves, brain fog from being unable to sleep 8 uninterrupted hours at night. Forget about hobbies, forget about having maintaining your relationship to your spouse or even your previous circle of friends. Yes, most are sick to add that they nevertheless wouldn't change it for anything. My impression take-away though is the exact opposite of yours: Making the same decision as your parents and most everyone around you, because you fear having to come up with your own ways to spend your time, it's the most dull thing I ever heard.
morninglight 3y ago
Imagine a world where both the man and woman needed to take a pill in order to have in pregnancy. No accidental pregnancies.

gauku 3y ago

To me, your comment perfectly captures the reason why I don’t want to have kids - it’s all about the parent! Maybe the act of bringing a new life into this world should give more consideration to things from that new life’s perspective.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

thunfischbrot 3y ago

The parents I experience around me are the very definition of dull. They lament simultaneously all the drawbacks one expects from raising children, having no time to do what they want, worrying about their children all the time, experiencing stress from financially stretching themselves, brain fog from being unable to sleep 8 uninterrupted hours at night. Forget about hobbies, forget about having maintaining your relationship to your spouse or even your previous circle of friends. Yes, most are sick to add that they nevertheless wouldn't change it for anything. My impression take-away though is the exact opposite of yours: Making the same decision as your parents and most everyone around you, because you fear having to come up with your own ways to spend your time, it's the most dull thing I ever heard.

morninglight 3y ago

Imagine a world where both the man and woman needed to take a pill in order to have in pregnancy. No accidental pregnancies.