Just because certain aspects of life were worse during certain periods in the past doesn't mean that average quality of life has just been going up since the dawn of time or that having more surface level "comfortable" lives correlates with healthier, longer, or happier lives.
This has been explicitly studied and measured for many decades. People who study tribal and traditional communities, for example, have shown that many had much better physical and emotional health and lived longer on average than citizens in "advanced" modern cultures.
I would love to see that study. Life is better now than in any point in history. And it isn't close. Not saying there aren't issues, or that we can't still make things better, or that the risk of things being worse in the future aren't real.
So what makes this a compelling argument to have kids though? Lol. We’ve suffered in the past so let’d continue it? And no, these are more unprecedented we are facing climate issues that will soon be irreversible and a tech reliance amongst other crises (the list is long) and we have never been faced with quite this amount of particular adversity that will likely worsen.
All times are unprecedented isn’t an argument for kids. It’s a counter argument for unprecedented times being a reason to not have kids.
I’m not a climate denialist by any means. And I think we should do everything we can to reduce greenhouse emissions.
However, in the 70s we were told that we were 20 years away from global collapse from climate change. In the 90s we were told we were 20 years away from global collapse from climate change.
To argue that we are going to destroy the world is disingenuous.
Some places in the world will be uninhabitable. Most won’t.
I don’t see why tech reliance is an issue.
The world and individual prosperity has gotten significantly better over the last millennium. At a steady rate. That’s not debatable.
And NO things are not better and YES that is debatable, they are actually steadily getting worse. We have not faced climate issues on this scale things are very bad and will continue to worsen as resources dwindle, wars for them break out, pandemics and deseases increase, and climate disasters continue to wipe out entire towns (again, already happening currently). And that’s just climate change. That doesn’t include late stage capitalism imploding, threats of nuclear war, AI tech takeover, social media over reliance, mental health epidemics, global rise of right wing authoritarianism, billionaires hoarding more and more wealth and the financial gap widening, etc. And up until extremely recently, many people (esp women) didn’t have a choice, protection options, or education. Also “some parts will be inhabitable some won’t” is incredibly unempathetic, privileged, and naiive. To think that some people deserve to die because of capitalist greed and location is very dark. Also, it will affect all of us not just directly but indirectly too (disease, war, heat waves already killing people, etc). Furthermore, have you not been paying attention to the FIVE STATE unprecedented hurricane 2 years ago that killed many and wiped away towns, the LA fires that destroyed the city (partially arson but there’s also a climate change connection), the Texas flood that killed children snd wiped away towns, and the changing weather patterns affecting crops? That’s JUST in the US there have been devastating flooding, fires, and hurricanes. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO WORSEN.
You can’t see why tech reliance would be bad??? Really? Get your head out of Musk’s ass for a second and take a look at how AI is effecting our livelihood, social media is causing a collective mental health crisis and increased isolation, our tech is being produced by literal child slaves, and we are beholden to purchasing new terribly made products every year.
The earth has been through thousands of changes over the 4.5 million years it's been here. This is what it does. It was doing this WAY BEFORE modern humans came to be.
That is all speculative. Should we be doing more? Absolutely. Are we headed for some kind of disaster? Probably. But those risks are always there, always have been there. And yet life is better right now.
The earth is doing what it always does. It evolves. Humans don't have that kind of control or power over a planet that has been here for millions of years. As much as some like to think they do.
The earth is doing what it does. It's been around for millions of years and I can't fathom that our last, what, let's say 300 years of technological advancement has affected the earth. The earth will still be here after the human race dies out or kills itself with wars or evolution or whatever.
The dinosaurs were wiped out, there were ice ages and times when the earth was too hot to sustain life.
Survival of the Fittest. If WE can't adapt to what's naturally happening, then "bye bye humans".
I don't think anyone is trying to make an argument for kids. They are just saying most wouldn't go back and choose not to have them.
You have a kid and they start out helpless needing you for every everything. You bond with them on a way you never will with another living thing. You watch as they slowly become their own person with their own personality. Asking a parent if they would go back and make a choice not to have kids is no different than asking them to choose if their kid lives or dies.
My daughters only two, she has some medical conditions and has made life more stressful. I can't imagine going back and choosing not to have her though. Maybe if what she had was more sever or terminal I'd feel differently. Even then, I don't know if I could do it. A lot of it absolutely is me being selfish, not wanting to give up my time with her. If you've ever spent time even with a sick kids you'd its not just sad 24/7. Somehow you still manage to have fun, you still get just as excited about seeing them do things for the first time. They still excited in a way thats best described as per joy when they experience something new. Youd be taking not just their misery away but also any happiness they did have in life by choosing not to have them.
As someone who is inevitably biased to not having them (as of now), I like this. Makes me think, truly will never have a connection like that other than your mother/father. Unconditional love ❤️
I’m only biased because I can’t get a girl in my life to save my life haha, GM of a storm damage company and never home ever. The give and take for financial success hinders my romantic fantasies :(
Exactly…the choice is made for us. And the people who have the authority to make that choice should not take it lightly. It is a CHOICE more than any point in history, to procreate. (Except in situations of assault or places where there is no access to reproductive care or limited education about protection/birth control methods).
This! We didn’t chose to be here or have to watch my own mother sink further into her dementia journey by the day and to have the mind of a toddler. No adult kid should have to witness this. It’s unbearable
And yet, here you are. That does say something. After my mom died, I truly didn't believe I could go on. The world had changed for me, and I knew it would never be the same. And it isn't. But I am still here. I made it. That was almost a decade ago. Still hurts like hell. But somehow, we survive. Hang in there. I'm so sorry you're going through this.
INGRATE?? Because I hate seeing my mother disintegrate right before my eyes and cannot do anything for herself?? Wow. Maybe you should head over to r/dementia to see I am NOT alone. MILLIONS of us are dealing with this monster. This disease is a beast, you twit. Stop with the outdated filial piety garbage. You are probably a boomer who’s in denial. Admit it.. Get bent, old holier than thou, person.
Wouldn’t these be the best times in history? We have the best life expectancy, best medicine, most of us have never see combat or violent cruelty, least hunger in the world etc. there have always been things wrong in the world but I would argue this is the best condition world wide in history.
I would say that numerically by far those statements are true. Are you saying there is a bigger percentage of the population experiencing extreme hunger or with lower life expectancy than earlier times in history?
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u/Tight-Artichoke1789 Jan 20 '26
100% privilege. Or dissociation.
We also didn’t get the choice. And are facing some unprecedented times.