4 ms·

Having kids is actually playing rather than being a bystander for the vast majority of people. How many people actually have an impact that actually means anyth

Having kids is actually playing rather than being a bystander for the vast majority of people. How many people actually have an impact that actually means anything to the future otherwise? Vanishingly few.

seydor 3y ago
That's interesting. Yet encyclopedias record billions of achievements, but almost never "having children"
- nickpp 3y ago
  Every single human being alive today owes his/her very existence to an uninterrupted chain of such achievements going back to the beginning of life on this planet. Do we need to record these in encyclopedias? That would be silly. Are they extremely important for us? No kidding. Is failing to "continue the habit" exiting the long game and electing not to play any more? I would say so.
  - seydor 3y ago
    I think it's because having children, as necessary and rewarding it is, is trivial.
    - nickpp 3y ago
      > trivial Quite the opposite of that, IMHO. I would regard my having children as both the most challenging and most fulfilling thing I ever did in my life - way above what I thought would take that spot for me (things like business ventures, career, adventures, extreme endeavors and achievements).
    - red-iron-pine 3y ago
      ain't nothin trivial about having a kid unless you're a deadbeat dad and can just walkaway.
- Ygg2 3y ago
  Sure it does. All biographies mention spouse and children.
  - defrost 3y ago
    All biographies ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Egan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Egan Not even a picture.
  - seydor 3y ago
    Only wikipedia did that. In general encyclopedias did not use to have a 'personal life' segment at all
    - Ygg2 3y ago
      The GP mentions encyclopedias. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. If other online encyclopedias omit this information that's pretty weird imo. Print encyclopedias have a spacing budget.
- mr_mitm 3y ago
  Having children is easy. Being a good parent is the hard part. Unfortunately, those two don't necessarily overlap.
johnnyworker 3y ago
Exactly. I refuse to take part in what currently is trending towards a global concentration camp, nobody excluded, and I refuse to throw more bodies into it. If anything, I'd adopt a child that already exists. I pride myself more in the things I don't do than the things I do. You may say that doesn't have an impact, but it makes a universe of difference for myself.
tapland 3y ago
You as an individual would have the same impact as your individual children would? But yes, keeping a population going that will continue to work and support society is important, but don't forget that you are having a positive impact there as well.

seydor 3y ago

That's interesting. Yet encyclopedias record billions of achievements, but almost never "having children"

nickpp 3y ago
Every single human being alive today owes his/her very existence to an uninterrupted chain of such achievements going back to the beginning of life on this planet. Do we need to record these in encyclopedias? That would be silly. Are they extremely important for us? No kidding. Is failing to "continue the habit" exiting the long game and electing not to play any more? I would say so.
- seydor 3y ago
  I think it's because having children, as necessary and rewarding it is, is trivial.
  - nickpp 3y ago
    > trivial Quite the opposite of that, IMHO. I would regard my having children as both the most challenging and most fulfilling thing I ever did in my life - way above what I thought would take that spot for me (things like business ventures, career, adventures, extreme endeavors and achievements).
  - red-iron-pine 3y ago
    ain't nothin trivial about having a kid unless you're a deadbeat dad and can just walkaway.
Ygg2 3y ago
Sure it does. All biographies mention spouse and children.
- defrost 3y ago
  All biographies ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Egan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Egan Not even a picture.
- seydor 3y ago
  Only wikipedia did that. In general encyclopedias did not use to have a 'personal life' segment at all
  - Ygg2 3y ago
    The GP mentions encyclopedias. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. If other online encyclopedias omit this information that's pretty weird imo. Print encyclopedias have a spacing budget.
mr_mitm 3y ago
Having children is easy. Being a good parent is the hard part. Unfortunately, those two don't necessarily overlap.

johnnyworker 3y ago

Exactly. I refuse to take part in what currently is trending towards a global concentration camp, nobody excluded, and I refuse to throw more bodies into it. If anything, I'd adopt a child that already exists. I pride myself more in the things I don't do than the things I do. You may say that doesn't have an impact, but it makes a universe of difference for myself.

tapland 3y ago

You as an individual would have the same impact as your individual children would? But yes, keeping a population going that will continue to work and support society is important, but don't forget that you are having a positive impact there as well.