tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13617569.post5309655543838336086..comments2024-03-27T02:13:58.088-07:00Comments on Integral Options Cafe: Is it selfish not to have kids?william harrymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981478282688361274noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13617569.post-54993686828884483692010-07-14T23:04:08.587-07:002010-07-14T23:04:08.587-07:00I respect anyone's desire not to have children...I respect anyone's desire not to have children. However, this argument should be included and rarely is: <br /><br />While conscious people are busy not having children, the unconscious ones continue to have them and are not going to stop. What good is all this consciousness raising and ideas about helping children and people grow spiritually and so forth if it is not passed on to the next generation of children and future leaders? Armies of therapists can't do as even 1/100th the good in their one hour per week for one year (at most) that excellent parents can do in a lifetime(and I say this as a parent and a child psychologist). Therapists spend much of their time simply correcting damage. <br /><br />Who is going to steer the ship in 40 years when all the conscious people are dead and have left no kids around? There will be overpopulation and environmental degradation, but who is going to help?Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13617569.post-25302155738324973102010-07-14T18:06:30.202-07:002010-07-14T18:06:30.202-07:00The idea that having children is a selfish act is ...The idea that having children is a selfish act is tenuous at best, and downright ludicrous at worst.<br /><br />Completely absent from the rather anemic analysis proffered above is the idea that existence can be, and quite often is, a joyful experience.<br /><br />Likewise in its fractured fairy-tale manner, the daft proposition that what you say sounds extreme only to the "superficial ear" produced a guttural laugh and wry smile. Its a neat trick I used to use all the time in my previous life.<br /><br />This perspective says quite a bit more about one's own internal suffering and lack of joyfulness than it says about any theoretical propositions.<br /><br />And I duly apologize if THAT sounds harsh to anyone's ears, but...well, there it is.Tombstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12619557495657601590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13617569.post-2062620180536899702010-07-14T11:55:25.423-07:002010-07-14T11:55:25.423-07:00Bill, I agree with you that it's not selfish t...Bill, I agree with you that it's not selfish to abstain from having kids and that it's selfish to have them. <br /><br />In fact, I go even further than you on this. You say that what's selfish about having kids is that we already have too many people to sustain on this planet. But I say that what makes having kids selfish is what philosopher David Benatar argues in his book "Better Never To Have Been." I think I discovered this book through one of your blogposts. <br /><br />In any case, Benatar argues that "Each one of us is harmed by being brought into existence," and this implies that when we procreate, we do it not for the benefit of the child who ends up suffering net harm but for our own selfish purposes.<br /><br />This may sound extreme, especially to the superficial ear. But the more I think about it, the more I think it's true.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02549770321948541384noreply@blogger.com