Calling Languish parents: Why did you decide to have children?

[Valdemar]

And that's a personal failing.

On my part or yours?

V

[garbon]

And that's a personal failing.

On my part or yours?

V

[Neil]

Valdemar: 

Eight posts in a row, and they look much better after I put you on my ignore list.

I'm tired of ignore lists.

[Grey Fox]

Valdemar: 

Eight posts in a row, and they look much better after I put you on my ignore list.

I'm tired of ignore lists.

Removed them, you have the power!

[CountDeMoney]

I concur.  We're a community;  no reason why everyone can't share in the same pain.

[Martinus]

tl;dr

?? don't understand that?

too long; didn't read

[The Minsky Moment]

Indeed. Besides, the way I see it, as thinking and self-aware beings, the onus should be on us to show why we want to bring someone into the world, not the opposite. The Kant's practical imperative is to always treat humanity of others as a goal in itself and never as only a means to reach another goal - so creating a human being for the purpose of not being lonely, or to have someone remember you, or to bring happiness to your life or your relationship, or to secure your retirement is the utmostly selfish and immoral reason because then the kid is just a tool for you to feel better about yourself.

I don't doubt a lot of people have kids for non-selfish reasons though that's why I started this thread. Although I guess now I spilled the beans about my purpose

Too bad, otherwise I never would have guessed you started the thread to discuss Kantian philosophy.

[Syt]

Mart, have you ever asked your parents why they had you?

[Tamas]

Mart, have you ever asked your parents why they had you?

wins the thread 

[Martinus]

Mart, have you ever asked your parents why they had you?

This is a cheap shot and a typical response in discussions like this. Rather lame.

[Tamas]

Mart, have you ever asked your parents why they had you?

This is a cheap shot and a typical response in discussions like this. Rather lame.

why? If they engaged in Kantian doubt over the whole thing instead, you wouldn't exist.

[Berkut]

Because when I get home from work I hear a very excited "daddy!", hear the pitter-patter of little feet, and get a huge enthusiastic hug.

That's why.

Another selfish reason. Could have just got a dog.

Ye

Because when I get home from work I hear a very excited "daddy!", hear the pitter-patter of little feet, and get a huge enthusiastic hug.

That's why.

Another selfish reason. Could have just got a dog.

Sure, because a dog is a lot like a child. No difference there at all.

I am not sure what point you are trying to make though - why are you using "selfish" as a pejorative term in this context? Why is it bad to want to have children because it brings one joy/pleasure/happiness?

Like I've said, and you've failed to understand, we are programmed to derive enjoyment from having children - but the enjoyment is not the point. Just like you enjoy sex, the enjoyment is not the reason for sex, it is just a means for our biology to encourage us to engage in an activity that is beneficial to life.

The root "reason" is that without procreation, life ends. This is true for all organisms.

You want to just stop at some arbitrary level (the "because we enjoy it") level so you can feel smug and superior about not having kids, as if your reasons to not have them are somehow more valid than our reasons to have them. But that is, of course, completely arbitrary. The reason we enjoy it is because our biology demands that we continue our species.

Can there be a better reason to do anything?

[Martinus]

Mart, have you ever asked your parents why they had you?

This is a cheap shot and a typical response in discussions like this. Rather lame.

why? If they engaged in Kantian doubt over the whole thing instead, you wouldn't exist.

If I have never been born it wouldn't matter to me. You can't conduct an existentialist debate ex post ante.

[Syt]

Mart, have you ever asked your parents why they had you?

This is a cheap shot and a typical response in discussions like this. Rather lame.

I see how the question may seem facetious, but it was meant earnestly. Why would you quiz people on the interwebs, not all of which you have met, but not your own parents?

[Martinus]

Mart, have you ever asked your parents why they had you?

This is a cheap shot and a typical response in discussions like this. Rather lame.

I see how the question may seem facetious, but it was meant earnestly. Why would you quiz people on the interwebs, not all of which you have met, but not your own parents?

Your question already contains its own answer - I'm making sure my question is devoid of any emotional element by the virtue of it being asked to people with whom I share hardly any emotional connection with (or none at all).