u/Dry-Ad3046

Lately, the world has become much worse because of global warming, climate change, pollution, impure food and water, diseases, illness, income inequality, competition, overpopulation, corruption, crime, etc. I feel like if I ever have kids, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for bringing them into this hell where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

Some people tell me that this is the best time to have kids, but I simply don’t understand how this could be the best time, because I feel that everything except mortality rates and certain diseases has worsened.

Having more kids just adds fuel to capitalism and industrialization, which further exploit the poor and increase the wealth of those who are already rich. I honestly feel like it would be very selfish of me to have kids now, in this unfair and wicked world.

I am an agnostic atheist, and I don't subscribe to the religious beliefs my family follows. I prefer to think rationally rather than follow dogmatic principles. Even so, my family forces me to participate in religious rituals. I’ve come home after my semester ended, and now they’re forcing me to attend a religious event tomorrow. When I refuse, they act very judgmental and taunt me. This is honestly very infuriating. Does anyone else deal with similar family situations? What do you do?

I feel like today’s world has so many problems, global warming, climate change, crime, corruption, excessive competition, pollution, impure food and water, scarce resources, disease, poverty, geopolitical instability, extreme weather, mental health issues, economic inequality, etc., that I can’t possibly have a child and not regret it. Some people have told me that I’m too pessimistic and impractical for thinking this way, but I don’t understand why it is so wrong to have basic empathy for humans.

I read this somewhere: “I love my kids so much that I’d never bring them into this world,” and it deeply resonated with me for some reason. Am I being unreasonable and extremely pessimistic, or is it okay to think like this?

There are so many things wrong with the world right now, global warming, climate change, pollution, high AQI, excessive competition, scarce resources, overpopulation, diseases, mental health disorders, corruption, crime, loss of loved ones, failures, etc., that they make me feel that if I ever bring a child into this world in the future, I might regret it.

Whenever I tell this to someone, the usual reply is, “This is the best time to have kids in all of human history,” but I don’t find this reasoning convincing enough, because every point in human history was the best time at that moment to have kids. Moreover, we now face many problems that didn’t exist earlier, so this argument seems weak to me. For me, empathy feels more important than personal fulfillment.

I wanted to know women’s opinions on this, because ultimately they are the ones who have to undergo pregnancy and face long-term consequences like permanent body changes and postpartum depression. Most of the men I discuss this with usually dismiss my opinion without giving it much thought, saying that I’m extremely pessimistic and draining.

When I look around the world and see global warming, climate change, overpopulation, competition, pollution, scarcity of resources, crime, harassment, etc., I feel that it is morally questionable to bring a child into this world because there is no way to guarantee that one could protect their child from all kinds of dangers. Moreover, a woman has to undergo immense pain for nine months. Hence, I believe the most empathetic thing to do is not to have children, which eliminates even the slightest possibility of suffering that a child could undergo. Although most people would laugh at this opinion, I genuinely believe that what I’m thinking is ethically right.

Our society romanticizes pregnancy pain and glorifies hardships, which I believe are just means to insulate procreation from criticism and promote it to a divine status. What are your thoughts on this?