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I don't understand how individuals can bring new, innocent life into this world... With an uncertain economic outlook, or without at least a stable financial ba

by zo1 12y ago

I don't understand how individuals can bring new, innocent life into this world... With an uncertain economic outlook, or without at least a stable financial base to care for them. #Edit: I'd honestly like to hear some comments/feedback about the individuals that disagree with what I said above.

anon4 12y ago
Individuals did it when there was nearly no food and you could get eaten by lions in your sleep. Humans are also one of the few species of mammals that can get pregnant year-round. Our breeding works in a shotgun approach - make as many as you can and hope that one makes it. Coupled with the fact that we have large heads that make birthing one of the most difficult among mammals, it's very unoptimised. But it works. I'm not saying it's rational by any means, I'm just pointing out things.
rayiner 12y ago
My wife and I are ambitious people, "planners" from childhood who got the grades, got the degrees, and got the high-paying jobs. But our daughter, who was, um, "unplanned," brings us more joy than any of those accomplishments. And the wonderful things about human existence is that having kids and making families is accessible to almost everyone.
- pen2l 12y ago
  I suggest people have a baby as soon as they can -- early 20s. The later you do it, the more problems occur. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome#mediaviewer/File:Down_risk_by_maternal_age.png http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome#mediaviewer/File:... This pictures explain it nicely. But really, there are a lot of other reasons, scientific literature has a lot to say about that. Don't do it your 30s, do it in your 20s.
TheSpiceIsLife 12y ago
Probably because people aren't rational actors. Additionally, having read a bit of history recently[1][2] it seems there never has been a time where economic certainty, or any certainty about the future, was actually a thing for the majority of people on the planet, throughout all time. Personal anecdote: I had said this very same thing for years until I had my first child. Interesting how perspectives. 1. The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined - Steven Pinker 2. Bourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can't Explain the Modern World - Deirdre N. McCloskey Edit: I didn't downvote you, by the way.
Heyr 12y ago
Let me ask you this: how does a species survive that doesn't have offspring unless they were VERY comfortable and secure in their lives? It doesn't. There are many natural urges humans possess and this is one of them. If you ask a person why they did it they often can't explain it in a reasonable way. To them it just feels like the correct decision, because evolution makes having offspring very desirable. Same reason why most of the things that taste delicious are the things you need most for survival (energy from food).

by zo1 12y ago

anon4 12y ago

Individuals did it when there was nearly no food and you could get eaten by lions in your sleep. Humans are also one of the few species of mammals that can get pregnant year-round. Our breeding works in a shotgun approach - make as many as you can and hope that one makes it. Coupled with the fact that we have large heads that make birthing one of the most difficult among mammals, it's very unoptimised. But it works. I'm not saying it's rational by any means, I'm just pointing out things.

rayiner 12y ago

My wife and I are ambitious people, "planners" from childhood who got the grades, got the degrees, and got the high-paying jobs. But our daughter, who was, um, "unplanned," brings us more joy than any of those accomplishments. And the wonderful things about human existence is that having kids and making families is accessible to almost everyone.

pen2l 12y ago
I suggest people have a baby as soon as they can -- early 20s. The later you do it, the more problems occur. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome#mediaviewer/File:Down_risk_by_maternal_age.png http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome#mediaviewer/File:... This pictures explain it nicely. But really, there are a lot of other reasons, scientific literature has a lot to say about that. Don't do it your 30s, do it in your 20s.

TheSpiceIsLife 12y ago

Probably because people aren't rational actors. Additionally, having read a bit of history recently[1][2] it seems there never has been a time where economic certainty, or any certainty about the future, was actually a thing for the majority of people on the planet, throughout all time. Personal anecdote: I had said this very same thing for years until I had my first child. Interesting how perspectives. 1. The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined - Steven Pinker 2. Bourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can't Explain the Modern World - Deirdre N. McCloskey Edit: I didn't downvote you, by the way.

Heyr 12y ago

Let me ask you this: how does a species survive that doesn't have offspring unless they were VERY comfortable and secure in their lives? It doesn't. There are many natural urges humans possess and this is one of them. If you ask a person why they did it they often can't explain it in a reasonable way. To them it just feels like the correct decision, because evolution makes having offspring very desirable. Same reason why most of the things that taste delicious are the things you need most for survival (energy from food).