[menschmanfred]

It's a selfish thing to do.

Nonetheless nothing I condemn.

At the end of the day it's harder not to have kids and stop this cycle than not, thanks to evolution.

[cpursley]

Some of believe the cycle is pretty incredible, beautiful and net positive despite its flaws.

[menschmanfred]

Yes and I like the point in general.

But we know in which world we bring humans in.

Climate change, rassism, bulling etc.

[psacawa]

This is a remarkable inversion. The primary reason people forego children in the west is because it throws a wrench in their comfortable lifestyle. They prefer to live unto themselves, instead of unto children, i.e. selfishly.

I believe the environmental/climactic concerns raised by antinatalists are just a feeble deflection. They are primarily interested in personal comfort.

[nlnn]

This may be true in many cases, but I know quite a few people that chose not to have kids for other reasons.

For some, these are possible medical complications, e.g. history of heart defects, high risk of childbirth fatality.

For others, its that they had abusive or traumatic childhoods, and either don't feel they'd be up to the task of parenthood, or associate childhood with something so unpleasant that they wouldn't want to inflict it on others.

[menschmanfred]

You could have asked my why I think it is selfish.

I believe creating new life is playing 'god'.

It's easier to never exist than life life.

This has nothing to do what you thought

[foinker]

As a childless person I agree entirely. I fully acknowledge and embrace that I don't have kids because I'd rather not deal with the hassle of it.

Although I've not fully understood what makes that decision "selfish" in the sense that I'm not acting in a way that is a detriment to others.

[hotpotamus]

I think I never wanted children because I realized quite young that there’s no god and when I died I would be done and gone and nothing I had done would ever have mattered. It did not make for a happy childhood and is not something I’d wish upon a child. And I don’t even have any happy stories about religion to pass onto a child like my parents tried to impart on me.

If I were to create people in order to try and find some meaning but leaving them as adrift in this meaninglessness as I, would that really be a selfless act? It seems quite the opposite to me.

Perhaps this is indeed “cope” in one way or another, but it’s what I’ve felt from a very young age, though I think it took me a lot of reflection to realize it and be able to put it into words.

[bemusedthrow75]

I don't really want to have kids.

I am not an "antinatalist" because of this.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with comfort (or the environment or climate).

I note that the "unto" here is a very interesting word choice that hints at an underlying belief structure that drives your opinion.

[anonymousDan]

What nonsense. Having kids is not selfish.

[bluescrn]

What is the goal of humanity?

To maximise quality of life, maximise duration of life, or maximise the numer of humans?

At the moment, we seem to be aiming for 'maximum number of humans'. But in a world of climate crisis and depleted resources, that means ever-fewer freedoms, rapidly declining quality of life, and increasing levels of war/conflict.

[menschmanfred]

And have you ever spend time on thinking about your conclusion?

[neoberg]

Not having kids is selfish. Most of the worlds social systems depend on new generations of workers. I'm not only talking about paying taxes and contributions etc. But if not enough people have kids, there won't be enough doctors, engineers or cleaners when the same people get older.

[menschmanfred]

That's not a good reason for the new human it's only a good and easy reason for the existing humans.

To create their future workers/slaves.