Oddbean

This isn’t clever, though it is cute. And also sad. Calling his claim “hot garbage” is not an appeal to emotion. I don’t know where you learned dialectic, but it appears you missed a few classes. You have just enough education to appear sophisticated, but not enough to impress the initiated.  My claim that some people would be better of not having children is not a straw man, at all. While neither verifiable nor falsifiable (due to the fact that some life choices are somewhat, shall we say, permanent), it is YOU who are creating a straw man by distorting what I said. To wit, I did NOT write, as you claim, “the world doesn’t need more people.” I wrote, “The world doesn’t SIMPLY need more people.” Can you understand the difference? Try reading it again a few times for better comprehension. I’ll wait. In fact, my next sentence emphasizes that point by praising quality over quantity but, apparently you and HODL (and others here) think more is better no matter what quality of lives those people have, or what qualities of character good parenting might instill.   Y’all just want MOAR and that is, in a word, dumb. Since I apparently need to repeat myself, I did not call HIM or children in general “hot garbage” but evidently you and others think that me opposing his “make more babies” idea is the same as a personal insult. Is he *that* identified with this declarative? Are you? JFC, where did you people learn to communicate? To repeat, with more emphasis: Make babies (if you want to and feel you are ready to commit your life to raising a kind, responsible human being. The world needs more of that.) Or, you can also… Make art Make money Make love Rescue animals Protect nature Protect the vulnerable Read literature Push science’s boundaries Push technology’s boundaries Travel the world Climb mountains Sail the oceans Write songs Write books Write code Study mathematics Study philosophy Study history Study #bitcoin Build a business Be a mentor Visit libraries #Meditate Appreciate music, poetry, sunsets, sunrises, friends, or community. It’s all well and good that @HODL enjoys being a dad, but he has also admonished people for not doing so, and now others dogpile on to rebuke me for simply providing alternative sources for a meaningful life. ALTERNATIVES! Can’t there be more than one way to live life? Or must we all be parents? Don’t you hear how insanely stupid that sounds?? I weep for your children. Oh, how some of them will let you down when they decide not to give you grandchildren because they want to pursue other paths WITH THEIR OWN LIVES. How immoral of them to not agree with what you think is the only way to live!    Here’s a tip: Don’t tell anyone that there is only one way to have a fulfilling life and that everyone must do it! Else, you are nothing more than a fanatic. (The world does not need more of those.) I would recommend you not have children until, at the very least, you come to that realization for yourself.  To conclude, I’m writing all this not to prove a point to you or any other breeder trying to troll me. Rather, to anyone else reading this who wants to remain childless, either because of personal choice, or sexuality, or medical condition, or any other reason, believe me when I tell you: Life is *also* wonderful and thrilling and fulfilling and happy without children. Don’t take any shit from anyone who tells you otherwise.