Many comments

I have received many comments about my post about children and the selfishness of having them. I am not against people having kids, I actually am for the propagation of our species. You may gain my ire by having many more than two kids, however (unless you adopt more than two - that's fine). I would like someone to give me a list of the reasons having children is a selfless act (or even why it isn't selfish). I can come up with many a reason why having children is selfish. All the reasons I come up with are for me and not for the child or for the "greater good" of society and the human race. Here are some of the reasons I believe that having children is selfish:

• "All our friends are having kids and we don't want to feel left out."
• "A baby will love me unconditionally."
• "I know if we have kids my spouse and I will patch things up."
• "Who will take care of me later in life if I don't have kids?"
• "I want to pass on my genes to the next generation."
• "I want to continue my family name."
• "I want to teach somebody everything I know."
• "My children will have it better than I had it" read: live vicariously
• "I've got the house, the 2 cars, and the dog, I guess that is the next step."
• "Having a child will give my spouse some way to spend his/her time."

I want to repeat that I do not think having children is BAD, just that it is a selfish act. There are plenty of selfish acts that we commit each and every day why should we care if this act is labeled selfish or not. Most of the reasons I do not want to have kids are selfish reasons (I enjoy travel, spending time with my wife, and quiet) but my main reason for not planning on having children is quite selfless. Still not convinced that I am not a heartless bastard? Here is the explanation I most often give for not planning on having kids:

All too often people have kids for all the wrong reasons (I know this begs the question of what the right reasons are - I don't know) and the children brought into the world by these people are often a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th priority. I intend to have children when it becomes my number 1 priority and not before. I only say I do not plan on having kids because I cannot see them ever being my number 1 priority. I think the world would be better if more people thought like I do. Children would be cared for and nurtured how they should be and not treated as accessories to a perfect life.