Children

[The Human Q-Tip]

That's fine, but you don't have to be a dick about it. Your posts were interesting until you started belittling for what reason I am not sure.

Look....

It is very easy for people to get sucked in by the allure of "deep thinking". It happens all the time at some colleges. The students are led to believe
they are being profound, when I actually think they're being taught nonsense that is an insult to true thoughtfullness. And to be honest, I think the best way to counter that kind of nihilism is with a rhetorical hard slap to the face, because politely bantering about the wisdom of those thoughts actually plays into the hands of those who think they are being deep. In other words, once you engage that kind of stuff as if it is seriously thinking, they've won.

So, I honestly didn't mean any offense. I just think that kind of thinking has to be exposed rather brutally so people can see it for what it really is.

 

[Lyst]

Look....

It is very easy for people to get sucked in by the allure of "deep thinking". It happens all the time at some colleges. The students are led to believe
they are being profound, when I actually think they're being taught nonsense that is an insult to true thoughtfullness.

Jesus Christ man. Who died and made you Buddha? I've never heard such arrogance in my life. You and only you know what constitutes true thoughtfulness? Something that's pretty much been debated since civilization itself?

SMH.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Jesus Christ man. Who died and made you Buddha? I've never heard such arrogance in my life. You and only you know what constitutes true thoughtfulness? Something that's pretty much been debated since civilization itself?

SMH.

Debating whether or not humanity would be better off if it never existed is sophistry of the worst kind. And I don't think kids should be taught that it is worthy of debate. So....

Tough noogies.

 

[Whittaker]

That's fine, but you don't have to be a dick about it.

He was posting fine. You just didn't like his thoughts.
If you don't want your thinking challenged stay in the fortified bubble forum.

 

[I LOVE YOU ABBY]

I would argue that every living being is born "selfish". Secondly, every organism has a natural instinct to reproduce. Life creates life so that that life can create more life that creates life, and so on.

To me, the debate starts with the question; "Does life come with any kind of responsibility to create more life?" I would say absolutely not for a multitude of reasons. However, I'd say that the decision to create life does come with a responsibility, and the fact that so many people fail with that responsibility is the problem.

Something I like to remind myself of- that helps me reason with every philosophical and existential debate- is: every single person is going through their own unique experience of life that is just as in-depth, profound, and mysterious as anyone elses.

Every person eventually develops their own "subjective truth" to existence (the marvel of consciousness) based on their personal experiences. This "truth" is largely shaped by their parents, but unmistakably their own, and a good parent's job is to support their child's "truth" and help guide them along their journey. Giving your child a chance is your responsibility as a parent. Once a child has matured to the point where they can make their own decisions about life, the parents' responsibility has been fulfilled. Forcing a child to live a certain way once they are self-sustained and able to decide for themselves what is best (seems like 18-years-old is the consensus), this is where I would argue a parent is being selfish.

If a person comes to the conclusion through their own life experience that it's not worth living anymore, then I think it's within their right to do whatever they choose with that information. I've come to believe that life is worth living, if not for just my own sake, then for the people within my life who still depend on me. And if that's the equivalent to a person deciding to invest their time and money in raising a child, and living vicariously through their children, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I actually think it's pretty cool.

 

[David.]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinatalism

Antinatalism is what you're looking for

 

[Blink]

Hey person...I didn't want to be lonely so I made you... now you deal with the pressures of society, expectations, mortgages, fear of dying, the unknown, depression, heartbreak, (I mean there are obviously good things in life too) and all of this because I don't want to be lonely as I get older. Here we are, now entertain us. Oh, and don't be a loser, move out by 25, and also be a doctor. And we want grandchildren. Also don't disappoint me.

I think the key here is that in becoming a parent, you are signing up for helping your children deal with these things. My children's pain hurts far more than my own pain. Likewise, the joy they get from things is greater than any joy that I have found myself. The fulfillment from children is not that you get to brag about their deeds and it makes you look good, it's that you are happy that you have helped make them happy. Now circumstances beyond your control (or within your control if you're a shitty parent) may prevent that from happening, but that hardly calls into question the very concept of procreation.

If you (not you specifically, but in a generic sense) can't understand that, or are not willing to sign up for that type of commitment, then children are not for you. There's nothing wrong with it, the world would be a better place if people actually sought out what they truly want, not just what society/parents/significant others think you should want.

 

[BMAN]

Jesus Christ man. Who died and made you Buddha? I've never heard such arrogance in my life. You and only you know what constitutes true thoughtfulness? Something that's pretty much been debated since civilization itself?

SMH.

Yeah, fuck free thinking! Am I rite?

 

[Whittaker]

What is the purpose of life, if not personal fulfillment and happiness? How is pursuing that somehow worthy of suspicion, or an inadequate reason to do something?

True.

People are always seeking personal fulfillment and happiness. It is the underlying motivation behind most action.
It is why I post...and why others delete my posts.
The most important thing you can teach your child is that he is amazingly and utterly unique.
The 2nd most important thing you can teach them is that joy lies in striving to be who he wants to be, fulfilling his expectations, not the expectations of others.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Yeah, fuck free thinking! Am I rite?

Actually, part of free thinking is feeling free to think that a particular set of ideas is full of shit. And if you oppose that thought, you're free to say that it is full of shit as well.

I don't buy into philosophical participation ribbons, where every thought is equally worthy of respect or consideration. And I think (my own personal exercise of free-thinking here) that sophistry, whether in the form of antinatalism (thanks @David.) or just nihilism, is a malignancy that deserves to be exposed and criticized.

So tough noogies to you too.

 

[Huber.]

True.

People are always seeking personal fulfillment and happiness. It is the underlying motivation behind most action.
It is why I post...and why others delete my posts.
The most important thing you can teach your child is that he is amazingly and utterly unique.
The 2nd most important thing you can teach them is that joy lies in striving to be who he wants to be, fulfilling his expectations, not the expectations of others.

Who is he?

 

[Whittaker]

Who is he?

Your child.

 

[BMAN]

Actually, part of free thinking is feeling free to think that a particular set of ideas is full of shit. And if you oppose that thought, you're free to say that it is full of shit as well.

I don't buy into philosophical participation ribbons, where every thought is equally worthy of respect or consideration. And I think (my own personal exercise of free-thinking here) that sophistry, whether in the form of antinatalism (thanks @David.) or just nihilism, is a malignancy that deserves to be exposed and criticized.

So tough noogies to you too.

I think I just try to operate it that I don’t care what other people think as long as they’re not affecting others. Should he be reproducing though if he thinks some of these weird things? Fuck no. So I see where you’re coming from.

So tough noogies to you?

 

[Whittaker]

@Huber.

To clarify.
Many people have a set of beliefs that directs their actions towards self-sacrifice, charity and service to others. But I would argue that they are still pursuing personal joy, contentment and fulfillment.
They believe they are on the path to Heaven or Nirvana or whatever, and that is a personal path. Whether the reward is near, far or eternal, the motivation is still personal in the sense that it is contained in the individual soul.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I think I just try to operate it that I don’t care what other people think as long as they’re not affecting others.

Fair enough. I pretty much agree.

Should he be reproducing though if he thinks some of these weird things? Fuck no. So I see where you’re coming from.

It's actually more than that. Didn't his view of life strike you as rather...dark and depressing? That life is so bad that we'd all be better off if we were never born? It actually pisses me off that we have people in academia -- who certainly should know better -- peddling that kind of dark and depressing shit to people who may have all sorts of struggles in their life. To me, it's akin to telling someone who is suicidal to jump, because nobody really likes them anyway.

I don't know if they think it is funny, or just find it an amusing intellectual game, but I think that teaching people -- especially young people -- that oblivion is better than existence is basically evil. And so I think it is up to the rest of us to counter that -- to advocate that people seek out what fulfills them and makes them happy, so that their lives are more enjoyable/less miserable, rather than the opposite.

So tough noogies to you?

Noogies for everyone!