Why are people still reproducing?

i never get why africans have kids when they struggle to feed themselves?

Not a very pleasurable experience being human anyways- always wondered why we are producing more to suffer?

Because we're told to. Media and tabloids are full of celebrity babies, governments tell us we need more taxpayers to fund our ageing population, hell, here they are paying women to have babies !

What? What do you mean they pay women to have babies? You mean like welfare? Or actual payment?

Good question I mean contraceptives are easy enough to get a hold of...

Well it's always been such though the poor ignorant masses produce litters of children to suck the life out of the system.

Actual payment they call it the baby bonus
[link to www.familyassist.gov.au]

If everything is soo bad and killing us more and more....why is the average lifespan of humans still increasing?

I am trying to figure out the people that actually purposefully make the decision to have children. I know all the reasons the poor keep having kids, and then there are the morally indignant who would never believe in abortion or birth control, and although these things are issues and very debatable, right now I am mostly curious about those that truly want to bring life into this world. Is it blind faith? Total selfishness? Ignorance as to the true state of the world?

Life SPAN may be increasing through more and more drugs and technologies, but life QUALITY is decreasing, and has been for awhile.

But that is hardly my question. Do you think it is a good idea for people to continue to reproduce?

Good question!
I think the simple answer is because we are selfish.

As a woman in her best child bearing years, I struggle with this question. To have children, or to not have them..?
Selfishly I'd love to have them. There's honestly nothing I'd want more.
But if I love my hypothetical children, would I really want to expose them to this world? No, I would not.
But then I start to question if it is my view of this world that makes it so miserable, because I can't say my life itself has been all miserable. We all have our struggles, and as much as we try, no one knows what tomorrow holds. And it can always get better. It's always darkest before dawn.
So is it fair to me personally depriving myself of what I want most in this world, and what I feel I was put here for? No.
But what if I screw up my children, and their world view becomes as miserable as mine? Or what if the world is beyond saving? I don't want them to have to grow up and live in that.

It's difficult.
And in the end I'll probably be selfish and bring children into this world. But at least if I do, I'll be aware, and try to make their future better to the best of my ability, and then just hope for the best with what is out of my control.

I think my question is very important to determining the right answer for your question.

Human life spans are increasing, I don't think the quality of life is going down. Tell that to our parents and grandparents who had it rough. It was even harder for their parents and grandparents.

It is better now than during WW2 it's better now than during the plague, it's better now than during the crusades.

I think you have a glp fueled skewed vision of the world.

Last Edited by Evan03 on 11/21/2011 07:48 PM

Hope. They hope their offspring will be someone who will look after them because we all know no-one else will look after us when we grow old.

Wow, thank you for this honest answer. I too believe it is for purely selfish reasons that we reproduce. That is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. We are meant to reproduce, it is in our every fiber of our being to do so.

In my honest opinion, at this point, the world is beyond saving. It would take a massive change to sway that opinion, and after Fukishima I do not think that is possible. I know too much about the toxic waste dump we have created... and although I have a very miserable world view, my life itself has been a good one, although difficult.

Thanks again for answering honestly. I can at least say, if you do decide to have children, you will probably be a great mom.

If we double the population of earth things will get much better.
I know thats hard to believe.
But the population is actually dwindling.

Difficult as far as hard work goes does not count in reduction in quality.

Cancer rates are increasing substantially.
The ocean is 50% dead.
The air contains levels of toxicity that are still being studied.
The water you drink contains levels of arsenic known to lower IQ in your children.
The Ice caps are rapidly disappearing.
The largest structure on earth is a landfill (google Fresh Kills Landfill)
We have recently witnessed a nuclear catastrophe that we will be studying for decades and that affects us all in ways we do not even begin to realize.

And FYI, I do not have a glp skewed version of the world. I have been studying our world and what humans are doing to it for a very long time. It does not take a genius to figure out that our world, especially SINCE WW2 and the "better living through chemistry" age, has been becoming more and more toxic. Hell, asbestos backed tile .. came about as a waste management plan after asbestos mining for war purposes. They did not know what to do with the waste so they decided to hide it in everyone's homes... glp skewed version of the world... I wish it was that simple..

That is kinda weird. I mean, in a clean world I could see that being something I could support, but in today's world... <shakes head>

Fair answer. Still boils down to selfishness then.

Thank you! That means a lot, and I hope so too.
What I have decided on, altough as stupid it may sound, is to wait at least til we hit 2013, just to ride out all this imminent (fake? who knows) doom. And maybe by then we'll know more. Esp. regarding Fukushima. I haven't educated myself enough on that topic yet. Perhaps I should.

But I have to ask, would you purposely bring children of your own into this world? Have you made a decision for yourself?

On a second thought, maybe adoption would be a better idea to fill that need? Those children already are/will be in this world, so.. Something to think about.

It may sound strange, but I actually decided quite young that I was not having children based on the way I perceived the world, and as I have gotten older, and had to acknowledge the biological clock we are all born with, my resolve to never be responsible for bringing another life to this world has only grown stronger.. Sad, but true.

I agree with the waiting .. perhaps something will change for the better. I am totally for adoption, and will someday go that route. I like kids a lot, and find their company much more satisfying than most adults. But it makes me sad knowing the world they are being left...

I agree, but the scary truth is while a single unemployed female here can recieve as much as $400- $500 per fortnight already, have 3 or 4 kids or even 5 could raise your welfare income to as much as $1600 per fortnight and the security that you don't ever need to find a job.

The bogans have kids just for this, then they neglect them.

Kudos Aussie govt.

Because of hope !

YOU FAIL TO UNDERSTAND FREEDOM

The more children the more free we are. More people produce more. More industry jobs and better life for all!

There is plenty of resources. There is too much world govt and too many ignoramuses asking this stupid question repeatedly.

Depopulate DC.

What hope? Not that I can not see your point, but seriously, what hope?

More industry jobs for all?? that's just great... the resources are dead, dying, and toxic.

look , 80% of the world has and IQ under 100

thats all they really know how to do .

[link to www.iqtestforfree.net]

Our oceans are dead? I guess all the fish are gone also.

Simple optimism my friend.

I think my cousin took a highly sensible approach.

Had one child of their own, because let's face it.. it's almost irresistable desire to have a child of your own, then adopted two disadvanted children.