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For me, the question isn't "Will humanity overcome?" I don't have a doubt about that. Instead it's "What are the chances my kid – the individual – will lead a

For me, the question isn't "Will humanity overcome?" I don't have a doubt about that. Instead it's "What are the chances my kid – the individual – will lead a relatively peaceful, fulfilling life for the next 70-90 years?" I don't know the answer.

giantg2 3y ago
"What are the chances my kid – the individual – will lead a relatively peaceful, fulfilling life for the next 70-90 years?" Did your parents know the answer to that? Did your grandparents? Etc What gives you fulfillment varies based on perspective. Peace is fragile and basically non-existent across one's entire lifespan.
- malauxyeux 3y ago
  > Did your parents know the answer to that? Did your grandparents? No. But it's not really relevant to me. My grandparents' generation was largely motivated by religious faith (and lack of birth control) to have a bunch of kids. My parents' generation mostly lost the religious motivation, but inherited the inertia without questioning it. It's not to say they didn't want their kids, but having kids was just "what you did". None of that's the case for me.
  - giantg2 3y ago
    Sorry, I'll be more specific - do you wish you were never born?
    - malauxyeux 3y ago
      I think the closest I come to a "yes" would be a sort of underlying feeling of nihilism. The universe is big; life is short. That kind of thing. But if I had a kid and e.g., watched that kid become a climate refugee, I think I'd regret my decision to make that kid.
googlryas 3y ago
It seems like now, more than any time in recorded history, the answer is "yes".
Auracle 3y ago
Do you think any parents have ever known that answer? Before climate change was the Cold War and threat of nuclear annihilation, before that was two major world wars, before that was a string of wars and plagues going back to the beginning of humanity. If you think climate change is a good reason to not have children you need to stop and reexamine how the media/doomscrolling have affected your thought process. I see this reason given time and time again and I just don't understand it. We're currently living in what's probably the best time ever to be a human. We get to live in air conditioned houses, many medical issues have been all but eradicated, we have (for the first time ever) too much food, etc. Otherwise if it's just an excuse - you don't need one to not have children. If you just want to maintain your current lifestyle that's up to you.
- malauxyeux 3y ago
  > reexamine how the media/doomscrolling have affected your thought process. No need. Except for Hacker News and local news, I don't read the news. I don't use other social networks except for a few small non-news subreddits and Github. But my local environment is changing year over year, and it's concerning. > We get to live in air conditioned houses It's funny that you mention that. Air conditioners were almost unheard of where I live. But now we're regularly hitting 40C+ in the summer for long stretches and people locally are installing them. It wasn't like that 15 years ago. To flip your advice on its head, maybe turn off the air conditioning and experience the change firsthand.
  - Auracle 3y ago
    I work outside. I guarantee my 2 year old daughter will be just fine in regards to global warming. Some areas of the world might have issues, but if you're in a rich country like America you don't really need to worry about it on a personally-affecting-me-level.
    - Contusion3532 3y ago
      You're underestimating how connected the world economies and supply chains are. You seem to be huffing some serious copium if you're sure your daughter will be fine.

giantg2 3y ago

"What are the chances my kid – the individual – will lead a relatively peaceful, fulfilling life for the next 70-90 years?" Did your parents know the answer to that? Did your grandparents? Etc What gives you fulfillment varies based on perspective. Peace is fragile and basically non-existent across one's entire lifespan.

malauxyeux 3y ago
> Did your parents know the answer to that? Did your grandparents? No. But it's not really relevant to me. My grandparents' generation was largely motivated by religious faith (and lack of birth control) to have a bunch of kids. My parents' generation mostly lost the religious motivation, but inherited the inertia without questioning it. It's not to say they didn't want their kids, but having kids was just "what you did". None of that's the case for me.
- giantg2 3y ago
  Sorry, I'll be more specific - do you wish you were never born?
  - malauxyeux 3y ago
    I think the closest I come to a "yes" would be a sort of underlying feeling of nihilism. The universe is big; life is short. That kind of thing. But if I had a kid and e.g., watched that kid become a climate refugee, I think I'd regret my decision to make that kid.

googlryas 3y ago

It seems like now, more than any time in recorded history, the answer is "yes".

Auracle 3y ago

Do you think any parents have ever known that answer? Before climate change was the Cold War and threat of nuclear annihilation, before that was two major world wars, before that was a string of wars and plagues going back to the beginning of humanity. If you think climate change is a good reason to not have children you need to stop and reexamine how the media/doomscrolling have affected your thought process. I see this reason given time and time again and I just don't understand it. We're currently living in what's probably the best time ever to be a human. We get to live in air conditioned houses, many medical issues have been all but eradicated, we have (for the first time ever) too much food, etc. Otherwise if it's just an excuse - you don't need one to not have children. If you just want to maintain your current lifestyle that's up to you.

malauxyeux 3y ago
> reexamine how the media/doomscrolling have affected your thought process. No need. Except for Hacker News and local news, I don't read the news. I don't use other social networks except for a few small non-news subreddits and Github. But my local environment is changing year over year, and it's concerning. > We get to live in air conditioned houses It's funny that you mention that. Air conditioners were almost unheard of where I live. But now we're regularly hitting 40C+ in the summer for long stretches and people locally are installing them. It wasn't like that 15 years ago. To flip your advice on its head, maybe turn off the air conditioning and experience the change firsthand.
- Auracle 3y ago
  I work outside. I guarantee my 2 year old daughter will be just fine in regards to global warming. Some areas of the world might have issues, but if you're in a rich country like America you don't really need to worry about it on a personally-affecting-me-level.
  - Contusion3532 3y ago
    You're underestimating how connected the world economies and supply chains are. You seem to be huffing some serious copium if you're sure your daughter will be fine.