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> Life is pretty miserable for most people. this is objectively untrue with respect to almost every single piece of data we have on this subject. Just because

> Life is pretty miserable for most people. this is objectively untrue with respect to almost every single piece of data we have on this subject. Just because youre a misanthrope doesnt mean everyone else is.

silverquiet 3y ago
I wonder - do you think the drop in fertility represents a rise in overall life satisfaction or a fall? I hadn't thought about it much myself, but it seems like it could go either way.
- anthonypasq 3y ago
  definitely a fall i would say. 80% of women who do not have children, either actually wanted children but couldnt have them, or regret not having them. the fertility crisis is a complete disaster on an incredible amount of levels for people and society. The fact governments arent doing more to address this is mind boggling check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i0uJ9IcQ-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i0uJ9IcQ-0
  - silverquiet 3y ago
    If so, then it's sort of strange to think that everything else in their lives is going so well then, isn't it? Perhaps your KPIs aren't telling you the full story or maybe happy people want fewer children?
    - anthonypasq 3y ago
      > it's sort of strange to think that everything else in their lives is going so well then, isn't it where are you getting this information from?
      - silverquiet 3y ago
        > where are you getting this information from? Your previous comment. >> Life is pretty miserable for most people. >this is objectively untrue with respect to almost every single piece of data we have on this subject. Just because youre a misanthrope doesnt mean everyone else is.
  - jassmith87 3y ago
    Regret implies you wouldn't have regretted the other option, which is often not the case. It is entirely possible, and sometimes likely that you will regret your decision no matter which decision you make.
    - anthonypasq 3y ago
      are hackernews commenters legally obligated to chime in with intense pedantry that is completely irrelevant to the larger point in order to feel like they are smarter than the person theyre responding to?
- polski-g 3y ago
  The drop in fertility represents a rise in endocrine-disrupting chemicals like microplastics. Lower testosterone makes one less horny and more neurotic -- so we get cities of insane people worrying about completely nonsensical made-up risks. This is the face of every conceivable metric that we live in the best time to live -- ever. Never before in human history have we been richer, more peaceful, more equal than we do today.
- missedthecue 3y ago
  A lot of 27 year old women 50 years ago had a kid and another on the way. A lot of 27 year old women I know today are planning trips to Europe next year. Are they more unhappy than previous generations? I don't see it. There's a lot of interesting things competing today with being a parent.
  - anthonypasq 3y ago
    ask them again when they are 40 and childless
giantg2 3y ago
Really? Id like to see those numbers. Look up the distribution of happiness in the US and other developed nations. Happiness is often lowest during childbearing years. Happiness in the US has been declining for about a decade.
- anthonypasq 3y ago
  https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/life-satisfaction/ https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/life-satisfaction... people one average rate their list satisfaction from 5-7. thats a far cry from "most people are miserable."
  - giantg2 3y ago
    It's worse if you're parents. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/news/a33900/parenthood-happiness-study/ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/news/a33900/...

silverquiet 3y ago

I wonder - do you think the drop in fertility represents a rise in overall life satisfaction or a fall? I hadn't thought about it much myself, but it seems like it could go either way.

anthonypasq 3y ago
definitely a fall i would say. 80% of women who do not have children, either actually wanted children but couldnt have them, or regret not having them. the fertility crisis is a complete disaster on an incredible amount of levels for people and society. The fact governments arent doing more to address this is mind boggling check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i0uJ9IcQ-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i0uJ9IcQ-0
- silverquiet 3y ago
  If so, then it's sort of strange to think that everything else in their lives is going so well then, isn't it? Perhaps your KPIs aren't telling you the full story or maybe happy people want fewer children?
  - anthonypasq 3y ago
    > it's sort of strange to think that everything else in their lives is going so well then, isn't it where are you getting this information from?
    - silverquiet 3y ago
      > where are you getting this information from? Your previous comment. >> Life is pretty miserable for most people. >this is objectively untrue with respect to almost every single piece of data we have on this subject. Just because youre a misanthrope doesnt mean everyone else is.
- jassmith87 3y ago
  Regret implies you wouldn't have regretted the other option, which is often not the case. It is entirely possible, and sometimes likely that you will regret your decision no matter which decision you make.
  - anthonypasq 3y ago
    are hackernews commenters legally obligated to chime in with intense pedantry that is completely irrelevant to the larger point in order to feel like they are smarter than the person theyre responding to?
polski-g 3y ago
The drop in fertility represents a rise in endocrine-disrupting chemicals like microplastics. Lower testosterone makes one less horny and more neurotic -- so we get cities of insane people worrying about completely nonsensical made-up risks. This is the face of every conceivable metric that we live in the best time to live -- ever. Never before in human history have we been richer, more peaceful, more equal than we do today.
missedthecue 3y ago
A lot of 27 year old women 50 years ago had a kid and another on the way. A lot of 27 year old women I know today are planning trips to Europe next year. Are they more unhappy than previous generations? I don't see it. There's a lot of interesting things competing today with being a parent.
- anthonypasq 3y ago
  ask them again when they are 40 and childless

giantg2 3y ago

Really? Id like to see those numbers. Look up the distribution of happiness in the US and other developed nations. Happiness is often lowest during childbearing years. Happiness in the US has been declining for about a decade.

anthonypasq 3y ago
https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/life-satisfaction/ https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/life-satisfaction... people one average rate their list satisfaction from 5-7. thats a far cry from "most people are miserable."
- giantg2 3y ago
  It's worse if you're parents. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/news/a33900/parenthood-happiness-study/ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/news/a33900/...