Why have children?

Jeepers tcis your thoughts are very grim. Even though every one suffers at one point or another, we can all achieve get joy and happiness that far outweigh the few times we may suffer. You can compare this to why fall in love when you know it will cause you pain some time? Or why not just kill yourself now, because some time you will suffer or at least grow old, frail and die? With your grim viewpoint, why not just blow up the earth now?

As far as the job situation, and whether people are satisfied with your jobs you really need to read the statistics and why and when the survey was taken. I have read several surveys and they range from a high satisifaction percentage of 76% to a low of 47.2%. When looking at the low rate it also depends on one's age (45 - 54) was in the 46.1% while 35-44 age group was 57.3%. Also the amount of pay seems to cause a major difference, location - New Englanders being the most satisfied. The most interesting thing I found on the survey which rated job satisfaction the lowest claims that most Americans are interested in their work and enjoy their coworkers, they disagree with promotion policies and bonus plans. So it seems that it is not the work that they are not satisfied with, but promotions and bonus plans. This is the same survey whereas in past years job satisfaction is more than 60%. Could this be a result of recent economic downturn? Very likely since economic downturn would have large impacts on promotions and bonuses.

So actually overall, in most years, people are satisfied with their jobs, so this argument is moot. As far as way and crime and pain and suffering, yes it all exists, but so do pleasure, comfort, loving, joy, happiness, exhilaration, bliss, helping, compassion, caring, devotion, etc.

Also being put in a situation where on suffers or has pain can make one stronger, so these situations are not always bad. Tough during those situations, but you learn from the situation and become stronger. There is always a chance that your child may become "bad", but you can either hide in closet and never experience life and therefore never experience pain, but you will never experience beauty and love and excitement that far exceeds any pain you may or may not experience. Never ventured, never gained.

I have two children 5 and 20 months and the joy and happiness they have given me and can obviously be seen in their eyes. The smiles, hugs and kisses and love we have enjoyed already in their short lives, far outweigh any pain they and we could ever experience. You obviously have never had a young child, scream delightfully and run into your arms after a day of work yelling "Mommy! I love you!" or you would never ever ask the questions you are.

There is only one way to appreciate life and that way is by living it. We suffer because of the decisions we make in life and that's how we learn and experience the different things life have to offer.

What kind of person do you think you will be if your parent wouldn't allow you to make your own decisions?

We all have the hope and dreams that the next generation will turn out to be better than what we are or were! At least I do hope the next generation turn to be better and smarter.

Plus, your kids are the only ones that will really, truly love you, no matter what - that if you raise them with love, understanding and a hard hand when it's needed.

Better live and "suffer" than never existing. If you had only one day of fun in your live, it would be enough to prefer life over non-existence.

Myownusername:

I think that you can hardle speak for the "vast majority of humans" but even if the deaths per day exceeded 500,000. This would leave over 5.5 billion other people to add to the equation (assuming births are equalling deaths and that in a few years my scenario would not lead to human extinction).

For the most part I think people go about thier business and are generally decently happy. I am not sure what you mean by "fully and deeply happy" and I am also not so sure children or animals are all that happy (I know I am not happy when I drool uncontrolably and have a load in my pants).

However, let me refine happiness as far as a concept goes. I utilize the Epicurean standard in that happiness is the absence of pain. I am not sure as far as this goes that the "vast majority" of humans are in active pain very often.

I think many peoples standards are too high. This full and deep happiness is like the 'fariy tale marriage' or 'perfect job'. It only happens in stories or the movies and does a good job of confusing how high you set the bar for your happiness.

If we can define happiness in a more neutral state as opposed to some positve and ambigious state like 'full and deep' I think a clearer picture of world happiness can be seen.

But I am only speaking for myself and have no clue what your world picture looks like in Karlovac. Perhaps I am indeed naive sounding to you.

I am pstin this on the Fourth of July - America's Celebration of Independence and I see BBQ's and people doing thier best not to blow themselves up with fireworks. People seem generally happy... Ofcourse we have the highest obesity rate and prescription drug use per capita so perhaps that factors in - but I just don't see this 'woah is the world' defeatism that I see as many topics on thies board.

TF

I think I read that at least 50% of all births in the US are the result of unplanned pregnancies.

The biological drive to have children can be overpowering for many women, as Terry pointed out.

My dd was unplanned, though I had the biological urge. It had waned some since its height in my mid-twenties (just as Terry felt hers in her mid-twenties), but it was still there.

I try to protect my dd as much as I can. I worry about her constantly. We eat the tons of fruits and veggies so she gets as much antioxidant, vitamins, and such as possible. All that.

Why am I not off killing myself? Because I have my dd to look after, that's why.

~~~

"No one in the world ever gets what they want and that is beautiful
Everyone dies frustrated and sad and that is beautiful"
~They Might Be Giants

what 5O% are unplanned, that is sad. Having Children is a choice and a noble and brave one at that. People have Kids because they want a family, I want to be a better father to my kids then, mine was to me. The world has always been a dangerous and violent place but that didn't stop hundreds of Generations from having children. Most people I meet not all are selfish and don't want kids and they use this excuse. Now having children is a choice and it is yours to make. Remember Abortion is not a good solution. I don't think that it is wrong if a couple doesn't want kids but put them up for adoption, there are hundreds of good caring people that want to raise children. And in this great world of ours we have birth control, so if you don't want kids go to the doctor and snip snip, but don't make the choice of having an abortion there are so many couples that would love to have kids and phyically can't.

A need to punish ourselves for having too much fun.

Is this the voice of a frustrated parent?

As I cannot actually hear you, I am really not in a position to judge.

Ehh I meant you.

Oh. No, I have not been blessed with the curse of the screaming parasite.

That also accounts to me - but I'm only 17, that is.

31 here and still sans-replica. May it remain so.

No urge to have little limbopuppies one day?

would rather eat lint.

Aha.

This question relates to the wider "meaning of life" quandry. To a complete pessimist, life is meaningless. Goals are pointless and life has no ultimate purpose. The world is overpopulated, full of suffering, and life ends in death. Its no wonder a person with this perspective would not want children.
An optimist sees the good as being greater than the bad. The joys in life outway the sorrows. Goals are worth striving for and life can have purpose. Such people enjoy living and enjoy seeing other people 'living'. They want kids so the kids can experience the joy of living.

One thing to note - someone who is extremely pessimistic may see life as being so pointless that they end their own.

I'm not particularly good at it, but I've been finding I engage in optomism quite a bit.

However that does not apply to those hatchlings. I have to fight the urge for violence whenever one screeches in that tone designed specificall for the express purpose of forcing adult humans to react to it.

I am a quasi-intelligent being and I like to think I am taking the responsible course of action by not reproducing. Doing so would most likely land me in prison and the baby in a box before too long.

When I get the inevitable "Oh everyone should have kids, they're wonderful" from some soccer mom, I point them to a newspaper and remark that I'm certain I can find at least one example of a person who should never have had a kid in there.

So, limbo, do you end up in the papers a lot?

limbodog, and you don't have the urge to become a sperm donor? (just asking )