Do you want kids?

[chequita guevara]

Nope, I don't have children. Only people who don't have children can fully appreciate how wonderful an experience it is, knowing that you aren't adding to the burden of humanity and the planet by engaging in genetic experimentation to fulfill your own petty emotional neediness. Parents are among the most selfish people in the world.

[Asher]

So you're sterile, then, che...?

[MrFun]

Nope, I don't have children. Only people who don't have children can fully appreciate how wonderful an experience it is, knowing that you aren't adding to the burden of humanity and the planet by engaging in genetic experimentation to fulfill your own petty emotional neediness. Parents are among the most selfish people in the world.

What a dumb post.

[Garth Vader]

Nope, I don't have children. Only people who don't have children can fully appreciate how wonderful an experience it is, knowing that you aren't adding to the burden of humanity and the planet by engaging in genetic experimentation to fulfill your own petty emotional neediness. Parents are among the most selfish people in the world.

People usually call my wife and I selfish for not having kids. For a lot of our friends and family it seems like a really big deal and they are quite vocal about how we should be having kids. Others just comment on how they wish they had the freedom we have.

[Caligastia]

Nope, I don't have children. Only people who don't have children can fully appreciate how wonderful an experience it is, knowing that you aren't adding to the burden of humanity and the planet by engaging in genetic experimentation to fulfill your own petty emotional neediness. Parents are among the most selfish people in the world.

You need psychiatric help...seriously.

[Lorizael]

Not having children = selfish just doesn't equate to me. What's the logic there?

[Jon Miller]

I've considered academically having at most two offspring to raise. While I think it'd be an interesting challenge and something I might want to try, I often end up being unable to justify it even in theory, largely on account of the world being filled with ****heads, with far too many ills plaguing the world.

I cannot justify subjecting someone I (theoretically) cherish to that kind of horror.

I will admit that I don't quite have all data points in, and there is currently a profoundly negative bias towards human existence, thanks to a small fraction of humans I encounter (a few bad apples do spoil the bunch), so unless that changes, the answer I have now will remain in place.

"I'd like to, but I cannot justify it on the grounds of humanity."

My suggestion to you and others like you:

Adopt

JM

[Caligastia]

Not having children = selfish just doesn't equate to me. What's the logic there?

Not having chidren doesn't necessarily make you selfish, but people often choose not to have kids for selfish reasons.

[rah]

Not having children = selfish just doesn't equate to me. What's the logic there?

There is none.

[Nikolai]

The day I have found the Girl, and settled down with her, I want kids. I love kids, so the Girl, where ever and whoever she is, better get her ass over to me and introduce herself pronto.

[Jon Miller]

Not having children = selfish just doesn't equate to me. What's the logic there?

A lot of resources and efforts have went into making you. And for society to flourish, a lot of resources and efforts go into the future generations.

So yeah, people who desire to put all their resources and efforts only to themselves are being selfish, and not considering the needs of society and humanity.

People like AC recognize that she is selfish, and I respect her openness and self-understanding.

It is especially true that those of us who were blessed to being born in the first world, or with the opportunities to make the wealth (which all of us here posting at apolyton have), are being selfish by not passing some of that on.

If you are truly worried about the number of people or don't want to bring someone new into the world, than adopt.

If you would make a terrible parent, because you are a pedophile or some other sort of horrible person, and you can't change, than I guess you aren't being selfish by not having kids. But this is not a vast majority of people.

JM

[Asher]

Not having chidren doesn't necessarily make you selfish, but people often choose not to have kids for selfish reasons.

This is just as stupid as che's post.

There's nothing selfish in the decision to have kids or not. If somebody chooses not to have kids, there's no way this can be a selfish reason. That just doesn't make any sense.

[Lorizael]

A lot of resources and efforts have went into making you. And for society to flourish, a lot of resources and efforts go into the future generations.

So yeah, people who desire to put all their resources and efforts only to themselves are being selfish, and not considering the needs of society and humanity.

People like AC recognize that she is selfish, and I respect her openness and self-understanding.

It is especially true that those of us who were blessed to being born in the first world, or with the opportunities to make the wealth (which all of us here posting at apolyton have), are being selfish by not passing some of that on.

If you are truly worried about the number of people or don't want to bring someone new into the world, than adopt.

If you would make a terrible parent, because you are a pedophile or some other sort of horrible person, and you can't change, than I guess you aren't being selfish by not having kids. But this is not a vast majority of people.

JM

Uh, there are ways to give back to society other than having children. Aren't you a scientist?

Not having chidren doesn't necessarily make you selfish, but people often choose not to have kids for selfish reasons.

Sure, but I think it's also true that a lot of people do have children for selfish reasons.

[Arrian]

Not having chidren doesn't necessarily make you selfish, but people often choose not to have kids for selfish reasons.

And, while Che took it to the extreme (hey, it's Che), the reality is that people have kids for selfish reasons. Hell, I believe that they SHOULD have selfish reasons. Otherwise, how are they going to be able to put up with the downside?

edit: to clarify/explain further... people are by nature selfish, to varying degrees. Selfish desires motivate us. Therefore, to expect that people would do something as difficult as child rearing w/o reward (reward = fulfillment of said selfish desires) strikes me as rather silly.

-Arrian

[Nikolai]

The only way such a decision could be selfish, is if you overrule your partner's wishes only thinking about your own wishes I guess.