I sometimes wonder- with regards to Buddhism- whether it's related to reincarnation. I have a relative who is primarily Christian but also believes in reincarnation. Kind of like fusion religion. They are very pro-natilist.
I wonder though- if it's because they think our souls need new bodies to occupy in future. If their belief is based upon a soul learning through each lifetime until it graduates- with fewer people procreating, so fewer bodies to leap in to- where will all the non developed- graduated souls go? Will they be trapped in some kind of purgatory?
Being anti- natilist though, I still find procreation potentially very cruel. Bringing a being into so much risk and likely danger and then, giving them a few 'solutions' which may not actually work at all for them doesn't seem like a good sollution. Kind of like- unnecesarily giving a being a bunch of problems whilst knowing the solutions aren't always effective and for a totally unknown amount of gain. It doesn't make sense to me personally. The guaranteed risk vs. reward doesn't equate for me. But then, if life had been all rainbows, maybe I would see things differently.
Meanwhile... the other nugget I dropped in there is this... IF good people decide not to have children because of the shitshow... then the only people having kids will be the bad people who like the world as it is... which means self-fulfilling prophecy of horrible going forward. The ONLY chance the world has is for good people to have kids and teach them how to make the world better for everyone.
Again, have kids or not as you wish and nobody should hassle you either way. But I just say also don't let people push you into not having kids because of how horrible the world is, because if you think you are a good person and maybe want kids otherwise, maybe your kid would be one of the ones who grows up thanks to your mentoring and parenting and changes the world for the better.
It's going to depend on the percentage of 'good' vs 'bad' in the world. Plus of course- our definitions of good and bad are very nuanced. I doubt many people are all one or the other too.
Put it this way though- I'd say I was reasonably shy (in real life.) My Mum (apparently) was too. That's made life a challenge in many ways. We're animals deep down- we'll often pick on the weakest so- bullying is likely more common. The world has also increasingly become so noisy and competetive- you likely need some confidence or talent to be noticed. Being shy is probably more of a bad quality if anything but- being more gentle I'd say can be good.
I know how much I struggled in life growing up. I dread to think how I'd cope now. I think many of us feel like we aren't at all suited to this world because the majority aren't like us and the world at large doesn't value our qualities.
To try to ensure those 'qualities' survive via breeding in the hopes there will be a big enough stronghold for the person to survive comfortably is a pretty big risk. A risk being undertaken by our own child too. One we are supposed to protect!
Unless we can somehow equip them with a thick enough skin to cope- they're likely to suffer. I actually feel really annoyed when my family members expect me to be so much stronger than they are or were. They ought to acknowledge I have both their genes and upbringing defining who I am and how I act. To then expect me to cope when they couldn't/ can't isn't just hypocritical- it's kind of cruel. You don't ask someone in a wheelchair to clime Everest!
That's not to say some parents won't be able to sufficiently support their child- even if they do struggle. Or that they automatically will fail in life and be miserable. It's a potential risk though. And I think it's absolutely one that would- be parents should consider.
What am I passing on to my child- both in terms of genetics and how I raise them? If a would- be parent is utterly maladjusted- as I am/ would be- what are the chances my child won't be also? Nevermind whether our qualities are 'good' or 'bad'- how likely are they to aid or hinder our offspring in this world?
Maybe we'd like to push the world in a general direction towards kindness but- we won't be here to see it! Is it worth having a child that is ostracized for 'the greater good' of the species? Personally- I don't think witnessing my would- be child in floods of tears is worth that. I'm more protective of them than I am this shitty species.
As an extreme, I'm quite happy for the narcissists, sociopaths and psychopaths to populate this world and destroy one another. They're better equipped to. Why should the more gentle people offer up their children as cannon fodder and punch bags? Unless they do actually think they can protect them. (Not sure how though!)
Another example refered to is environmentalists. That maybe those more concerned about human's impact on the environment will choose not to procreate in order to spare it future generations of consumers/ polluters. There's the argument that people like that may be trying to live more responsibly to begin with- trying to use less resources, recycle where they can etc. So- in losing them and them not passing those ideas to offspring- perhaps those ideas will be overshadowed.
Ultimately though- will a handful of people choosing not to reproduce or reproduce eco warriors save humanity from self destruction? Maybe I'm a pessimist but- I doubt it. There are simply so many of us now and we're so reliant on our home comforts. I tend to think we are on the path of self destruction already and maybe- nothing will stop that now. If anything- if human extinction is sped up- it might give a few more million years to the many billions of other species we share this planet with a well deserved break away from us.
It's one of those unknown answers though ultimately- whether humans will survive. Will it even matter how humanity ends in terms of our nature though? If it ends- presumably. It will matter for those experiencing it. I'm just relieved it won't be my kin experiencing it. I reckon we're all going to hell in a hand cart!
For me- it comes down to this: Are we willing to bring a sentient being here, knowing it will suffer some things, is (very) likely to suffer others (because of its genes and environment), when the solutions to their problems may not always be adequate and when we can't predict whether life will seem worth it for them? For me- that looks like too much risk to put a sentient being in. Especially one we 'love' and want to protect.
