This was an awful lot of reaction to an "I kinda think" statement.
I see a bunch of things in here that are responses to things I didn't say. For example, there's an underlying theme of "I can't conceive" of the position of the child-free. That's wrong. I *can*. I was that. For a very long time. I understand where that comes from, the logic behind it (overpopulation, ickiness, loss of autonomy, etcetera), and the visceral distaste that one can feel towards it. In fact, being a farmboy, I have a stronger understanding of it than most might think (If anyone's curious, google "prolapse", although I *strongly* advise against that). The "miracle of life" is icky at best, and utterly revolting at worst. And babies are ugly screaming puking shit-monsters. I *get* it.
However, as one of the *last* people that I knew when I was 14-30 that remains without children, as I spend time with and around children, there's another side to the story. I won't try to argue that it's logical, or rational, or that it's anything other than selfish. It's primal, but it's there.
As for "social pressures", tell me, do binobos have "social pressures"? Rats? Sheep? And yet *all* of them reproduce, almost without exception. "Childfree" in the wild kingdom is exclusively the purview of the specimens that are unable (for whatever reason) to reproduce. Do any of you think that that's because all the other deer taunt the spinster? Cause I don't.
Maybe there's a shorthand in the biology, that, rather than the urge to have children, the invisible hand of Darwin substituted making sex REALLY pleasurable. It's possible that, given the existence of contraception, abortion, etcetera), that there isn't a separate urge to reproduce. I have no problem with that notion. Or any other ideas, really. I (like science itself at this point) am basically spit-balling. The study I found earlier (which others paid to actually read) indicates that the issue is complex. I am less than shocked, even though my personal observation (of virtually all the childfree that I knew when I was younger eventually having children) led me to think otherwise. Cool! My understanding (based on my observations) was wrong, now I can stop being wrong in that particular way! I am certain I will find others!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2015-06-20 06:39 am (UTC)I see a bunch of things in here that are responses to things I didn't say. For example, there's an underlying theme of "I can't conceive" of the position of the child-free. That's wrong. I *can*. I was that. For a very long time. I understand where that comes from, the logic behind it (overpopulation, ickiness, loss of autonomy, etcetera), and the visceral distaste that one can feel towards it. In fact, being a farmboy, I have a stronger understanding of it than most might think (If anyone's curious, google "prolapse", although I *strongly* advise against that). The "miracle of life" is icky at best, and utterly revolting at worst. And babies are ugly screaming puking shit-monsters. I *get* it.
However, as one of the *last* people that I knew when I was 14-30 that remains without children, as I spend time with and around children, there's another side to the story. I won't try to argue that it's logical, or rational, or that it's anything other than selfish. It's primal, but it's there.
As for "social pressures", tell me, do binobos have "social pressures"? Rats? Sheep? And yet *all* of them reproduce, almost without exception. "Childfree" in the wild kingdom is exclusively the purview of the specimens that are unable (for whatever reason) to reproduce. Do any of you think that that's because all the other deer taunt the spinster? Cause I don't.
Maybe there's a shorthand in the biology, that, rather than the urge to have children, the invisible hand of Darwin substituted making sex REALLY pleasurable. It's possible that, given the existence of contraception, abortion, etcetera), that there isn't a separate urge to reproduce. I have no problem with that notion. Or any other ideas, really. I (like science itself at this point) am basically spit-balling. The study I found earlier (which others paid to actually read) indicates that the issue is complex. I am less than shocked, even though my personal observation (of virtually all the childfree that I knew when I was younger eventually having children) led me to think otherwise. Cool! My understanding (based on my observations) was wrong, now I can stop being wrong in that particular way! I am certain I will find others!