No Children

First off, I wouldn't check with a bunch of Germans, the people who developed the term schadenfreude. Also, this study is for only the first two years of childhood. That is a miserable time. But it gets better. And I bet the situation is reversed after say age 5 through adulthood.

 

I have chosen recently not to have kids (even being at the ripe age of twenty-two) mostly because I believe the world has enough horny, stumpy humans with fucky eyesight running around. I also realized that the only reason I was ever going to have kids in the first place was because my parents raised me to think that way. Honestly, I believe the people who do conceive in this day and age are selfish and greedy. I know kids are an ungodly money pit, but the only reason to have a kid in 2015 is because: 1) you're reproducing to appease mainstream society and its idea of how humans are supposed to live, 2) you can't think of anything better to do than waste resources, 3) you're not as committed to helping as you tell yourself. Because if you were you'd adopt or mentor some underprivileged kid, or 4) you want some obedient little servant that looks like you and will be guilted in to being your retirement plan.

 

"Oh... hahahah." "Hahaha." "Heh." "Mm."

 

All the child free people here offer various excuses. I think they are operating on imperfect information. I think the question is, are there any parents who regret having children? Of course with birth control and planning you can have both. I was on my second house (a five bedroom) and had three cars at the time before I had my twins. So I'd say I was pretty successful at the child free lifestyle before having kids.

 

If you'd have asked me when they were teenagers ...

We all play the hand we are dealt, everyone second guesses their own decisions, and we're all child-free until we aren't. I won't accept anyone imposing their values on me and I try not to do it to anyone else.

 

Excuses and not reasons? Explain your perception of the difference.

 

How about you focus on my point and not try to engage in the Internet debating game of distraction by parsing the finer meaning of an otherwise irrelevant word choice?

 

Don't blame me, I was an English major.

...a very happy, child free one at that.

 

So being an English major taught you to not focus on the point? Well if we're whipping out our sheepskins, my master's degree says stick to the point, not irrelevancies.

 

Dude. Chill.

 

I'll reframe it so that so that the childfree people will understand. When you are asking about or making a decision about all the intricacies involved in having sex, do you talk to a virgin? Particularly a 40 year old virgin? Or do you speak to people that have actually had sex?
Virgin: I heard people squish their naughty bits together, and there is lots of gross bodily fluids and sweating. And a chance of disease. And God gets really angry. And girls (or boys) have cooties. And then the other person wants to live with you and take all your money and toys.
Experienced sexual being: Before I had sex, I had no idea what I was missing. Everyone said it was great,but until you try it you have no clue. It's messy, sure, but it really brings you closer to the other person if done properly. You have a chance at establishing an emotional bond and a chance at being a part of another person's life. You have to be ready to have sex, but when you do it right it will be fantastic and you will see the world differently.

 

No, your examples are weak. We are not talking about murder,or vacations. I chose a frame of reference that almost everyone engages in, that people get very passionate about, and that people who do it are very concerned about.

 

Since I have now had three last ditch debate tactics thrown against me
1: attempting to distract with irrelevancies
2: everyone's opinion is equally valid regardless of information or ignorance
3: Your viewpoint is narrow-minded (I think you mean well-informed)
I'm forced to Godwin this thread and declare myself the winner.
Hitler had no children became a miserable little man. Gandhi had children, understood the importance of giving to the greater good. (Insert mic drop gif here). Boom!
In the final arena, there will be no judges, only witnesses to my greatness.