Sorry southerncross, I want a shot at your game. I figure we're a pretty worldly bunch here; some early twenties, some retirees, loads of Aussies, some born here, some migrants and of course plenty of members from around the world. Given your "belief" of what the future holds (eg, tough economic times, global economic collapse, environmental issues, food shortages, political power shifts, beautiful utopia where the debt just keeps on rolling and so on), if you were nearing 30 would you be thinking about having kids? Very interested to hear what you all think.
yeah do it .....if youve got nerves of steel & a sense of humour or you will wind up in the funny farm
I was a reluctant father to begin with, but I resolved within myself to try and not be selfish or paranoid about it, after all, a child doesn't ask to be born. It's turned out to be one of the most character building and personally rewarding things I've experienced. No regrets.
Just keep on practicing...... After all practice makes perfect. Wouldn't want to make any mistakes now would we???
Whilst important, economic consideration would pale into insignificance compared to ones like" am I convinced that I could wake up next to this person ( the potential child's mother) and feel love for them?" - of course the cynical extension to the above is to draw attention to the well known fact that divorces suck big time, not least ecconomically.
I tend to think life would have a lot less significance without children. They are a very intense focus of serving someone other than yourself. Lots of lessons and experiences that define your humanity and role in society. But you need a lot of strength in the first 7 or so years, because nothing is the same afterwards. So if your going to do it at all, best younger than older I would suggest. Regarding SHTF thinking...don't let your fear of the unknown inhibit your actions. Nothing in life is guaranteed even in the best of circumstances.
Having children is the only guaranteed way a small part of you (and your wife) can live on. One of the few truly awesome things about being alive. Thinking about the fact that I am here to type this now because of the successful consecutive survival of everyone of my past ancestors. Weather it's arching back over a massive 4.5 billion years if you subscribe to the theory of Earth bound evolution or even the paltry 6000 years if you subscribe to the one of the faiths. My wife and I owe it to the efforts of all those who came before us to produce together at least one more little survivor.
Does anyone ever think about population growth? The planet has close to 7 billion people now. Does everyone think we can keep breeding and using finite resources forever or are we miraculously going to populate the galaxy sometime soon? To me population growth is the single biggest factor that is going to cause chaos in the future.
I'd say the rate of population has a direct correlation to the rate a which we humans have been turning a finite resource like fossil fuel into fuel and fertilizer for food production, that in turns feeds massive population growth. I'd say peak oil as (if) it develops will also lead to massive population drops. When you think about it, whats stopping a couple having 1 or 2 children each and leaving it at that. This way we would see the population rate retract without the immense human suffering that will go along with the current trajectory the worlds future is heading toward. Then again, look how poorly the developed world is doing now that their governments can't even afford to fund the pensions of the baby boomer generation as they begin to line up for retirement. The modern economic world has never known a sustainable growth model and probably never will as long as nations seek to have the most advantageous posture over their perceived competition. The economy is like a shark if it stops moving forward it begins to suffocate. With the guys who are currently running the show, at times it looks like the whole world is one big ponzi scheme and the vast majority of the next generation will only be born suckers into a lifetime of debt servitude. Seems to me like the Chairsatan Bernanke and his trusty crew are sailing us all headlong into the perfect storm though. Who will survive and come out the other side?
Procreating nothing wrong with that, however it doesnt just have to be Friday Nights, try other nights an days too.
I support it even if I knew doomsday is coming i dont know 5 years from now. You are exposed to new experiences by having that child and its a great feeling