Don’t Write Me Off: Anti-Natalism Chronicles VIII

I know what people think when I tell them I’m an anti-natalist. “Anti what?” Yeah, I know. It’s a big word and you don’t read. I’m not talking about those people who are incapable of understanding words that have more than two syllables. I’m talking about people who know where I stand on childbirth, on propagating the human race, on shelling out another mouth to feed. “Oh, great. This is just what the internet needs: another pessimistic nihilist who hates everyone and everything.” A few years ago, you would have been correct.

Am I saying I’ve changed my ways and I embrace everyone? No. I still think people are scum, but I like to think of myself as more of a philanthropic misanthrope these days. The world is shitty enough as it is so I like doing little things here and there for other people while I wait for the world to burn. There’s no sense in being an asshole to others when there are plenty of assholes to go around already. I’ll lend a hand to someone who has fallen on hard times. I’ll chip in a $20 to a guy on the corner who may need to grab a bite to eat. Hell, I’ll chip in $20 for someone to buy a bottle of liquor and a pack of smokes if that’s what gets them through the day. Who am I to judge?

I am not some edgy teenage nihilist. I have thoroughly considered the options as far as reproducing goes. Getting my vasectomy was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Another child will not have to come into this world full of hate and suffering because I’ve chosen to nip that in the bud. No one ever suffered by not being born. It’s all of us that are already here that are suffering. You can go your entire life, enjoying every minute of it, but at some point you’re going to experience heartbreak. Someone or something is going to hurt you. Someone is going to leave you. You know that feeling. If you don’t then you will. Why would you want to put someone else through that?

There are people out there born with mental and physical defects that are hereditary. I am one of those people. I chose not to pass my shitty genes onto another person. Why do others insist on passing on their mental and physical disabilities to the next generation? Let’s end this here and now. Voluntarily remove your progeny from the face of the earth before it ever comes into existence. You’re only going to do it more harm than good by bringing it into this world. You’re going to do yourself more harm than good if you have to watch it suffer or worse. It’s no guarantee that your child is going to outlive you. You don’t want to go through that. Do you?