The thing is it's a hard mode that's gotten harder. All my family in the generations above me had way more kids than me. Maybe it's an anomaly due to survival r

The thing is it's a hard mode that's gotten harder. All my family in the generations above me had way more kids than me. Maybe it's an anomaly due to survival rates jumping, but even my aunt has six kids. It didn't seem to be such a burden until very recently. Even cousins who are older than me and make less money seem to be able to have more kids. You're right about purpose though. I don't know what I'd do without them. I have a number of friends who are just straight up single, never had a girlfriend (or boyfriend, friends are both genders), never even tried, live alone despite having plenty of means. It's like a sort of secular monk. So in a way I get it, but also in a way I could never do it.