Veritas said:

No more or less selfish than anything else we do to create a meaningful and interesting life for ourselves. 

Since we don't really know what the point of all this is, why not choose what has intrinsic value and meaning for us as individuals?

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Well, people are free to choose for themselves, I don't really care.  I agree with you, it's up for each of us to decide for themselves what reality they wish to create.  I am impartial to that.  I care only about my life.   

I'm talking about when it comes to making a personal decision and that decision involves a "someone else."  Obviously, I desire to be selfless, I desire to think of others and put them before myself. 

Is the experience of being a mother worth the life of another?

That's the question I'm asking.  It just seems like having children is a blindingly selfish act.  Like, I used to look forward to being a mother until I actually thought about what I would be doing.  Bringing a new person into the world.  Another human being, like myself, another new universe.  Creating a being to suffer and eventually die. 

What right do I have over another being's life? 

I oppose the death penalty because I believe taking away another being's life is not "right," based on what's happening in my universe at present.  According to my own value system, isn't having a child with the foreknowledge of its death sort of like being an accomplice to murder? 

Am I just looking at things too cynically?? 

Quote:

According to my own value system, isn't having a child with the foreknowledge of its death sort of like being an accomplice to murder?

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That's pretty cynical, Mysh! 

You could just as easily flip it around and say "isn't choosing NOT to have a child, and thus depriving another being of the wonders and beauties of this world, horribly selfish?"

As you may know, I have two kids.  They do suffer sometimes, but seem to spend 80-90% of their time enjoying being alive.  That's a pretty high percentage...much higher than the average adult, I'd guess.  I encourage them to develop the emotional intelligence to be able to continue enjoying being alive.  I love them up.  I let them be.  They run around naked, laughing at the sensation of running.

Am I an accomplice to murder??

Veritas said:

Am I an accomplice to murder??

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Quote:

"isn't choosing NOT to have a child, and thus depriving another being of the wonders and beauties of this world, horribly selfish?"

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Icelander said:

It really doesn't matter in the end I would say. In fact nothing matters on that level.

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Yeah, I do silly things like plan a "Human Timeline" in my head of where global consciousness will be in hundreds of years, to give myself some sort of agenda and reason for existing.  But underneath, I precisely agree with you.  Which is why I think, "Why bother?"  I've always had this feeling and the more I live, the more things confirm it. 

But I'm trying to work with the fact that I'm here NOW.  Maybe Veritas is right and becoming obsessed with my life and excluding a child is the most selfish thing. 

So I guess it doesn't matter anyway.  Just like nothing matters.    (except maybe what you decide)

EllemyshShade said:

I was just thinking that considering the state of the world, it would be pretty selfish of me to create new life...

But my husband feels that we should be optimistic, that the state of the world is EXACTLY what would make our job as parents incredibly important and valuable.

What do you think?

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nakors_junk_bag said:

selfless, who else is going to give more for your new liife than you, unless they will be a welfare baby. If that is the case then, wait until you can be auto responsible fro your genes

If no then it is in my mind the most purely sefless act their is, after giving yourself over to a chosen lover, you have to give over total self to the child. Please raise them right? Itas not that hard.

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