[katzgrau]

They're just cliche ideas for how to fill the time. Anyone one who tries to break an addiction suddenly finds themselves with a lot of free time they don't know how to fill.

But on that note, have multiple kids AND get a pet. You'll never have a free minute again.

[alex_suzuki]

I would strongly argue against having kids as a solution for any of life‘s problems. Kids are an incredibly demanding venture and can exacerbate existing problems. Speaking from experience here.

[unclad5968]

I think he was being facetious.

[alex_suzuki]

After rereading, I think you’re right.

[sizzle]

I mean from a purely evolutionary perspective, the point of life is to pass on your genes to your offspring, so having kids would be winning at this game we call life…

[tonguez]

so life’s greatest winner is genghis khan

[bko]

Do you have an alternative "point of life"?

Is it career? If so, that's pretty depressing. Happiness is a superficial emotion. If your loved one was "happy" spending his entire life playing fortnight in his parent's basement, would you be sad for him? Charity?

I don't know. Never found a meaning as compelling as having children.

[derangedHorse]

>Happiness is a superficial emotion

A google definition of superficial is "appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely."

I don't see how the definition of a type of emotion can be "superficial". Presumably your usage of "happy" in quotes is not actually happiness if you decided to put it in quotes. If you meant it as him actually being happy then someone could decide to be sad for him but that has nothing to do with his own happiness. Instead it would just be someone arrogantly projecting their own sensibilities and worldview onto the fortnite player while thinking they know better sources of happiness (when really the causes are subjective and every person derives varying levels of joy in different ways).

Making kids a "point of life" can itself be seen as a last ditch effort to be happy. The thought that there's some purpose in life that points to procreating is arbitrarily chosen and is seemingly that way because people derive happiness from some idea of having a legacy or finding comfort in interpreting the potential continuous spread of dna as some proxy for immortality

[throwawayboise]

Why does there have to be a point? Just go with it.

[ako]

Genghis Khan had many children: https://www.grunge.com/187878/how-many-children-did-genghis-...

[nurettin]

Reproducing is just a mechanism for adaptation. So the ultimate goal is to adapt now?

[tonguez]

what a bizarre reaction to my comment

[bko]

I read your comment as somewhat dismissive at the point of life being having children because you made a joke of Genghis Khan "winning" the game of life.

[jokethrowaway]

greatest score - so far

wait for the scientist who'll start printing soldier clones of himself

[nurettin]

From a purely physical point of view, life's goal can be reduced to passing on information.

[tomcam]

YMMV. Kids made my life immeasurably better. And I have some with severe handicaps.

[maerF0x0]

> for any of life‘s problems

I understand it was hyperbole, but I would suggest one possible application of having and throwing everything you've got at raising children[1] to help with aimlessness/meaninglessness/purposelessness. Particularly when they're your own the common experience is your instinct/genome takes over and you'll find great imperative to do things you couldn't do for yourself. I learned about this concept from Jordan Peterson who also notes it works with pets[2]. For any bit of resentment about how the world has treated you, pouring yourself into someone else can at least give the solace that for them they will not suffer as much as you have, or at least not in the same insanity producing cyclical way as you had.

[1]: (technically can also be someone else's like foster, adopt, church, mentor, nephews/nieces) .

[2]: he talks about how people more frequently fill prescriptions for pets than for themselves.

[birdyrooster]

I know enough shitty parents to say this does not have a high rate of success in changing people for the better, but I will leave it to Jordan Peterson, he seems like a real expert type.

[jokethrowaway]

A lot of people nowadays lack responsibility.

Society keeps encouraging a lifestyle with less and less responsibility.

The government takes care of you (until you start bringing in profits), your employer takes care of you (with no raises). Everything seems engineered to coddle people without making them realise what they're missing. I feel most people are basically unaware cattle, happy to stay in their comfort zone and to keep producing what they tell them to.

Sexual promiscuity is cool, relationships don't last, having kids is a suicide, you're a victim.

A lot of the shitty parents have way deeper problems than this. The ones doing ok are probably glad they get to use their judice and they enjoy the freedom that comes with responsibility (without forgetting the obligations).

[maerF0x0]

I've heard a hypothesis in the past (cannot recall the data) that people who put themselves under financial responsibility (eg through debt, virtuous or vice) often are pressed into earning more. That is it seems the mechanism might be you get stressed about paying your bills so you pursue a life of higher income. People might become wealthier as home owners not because of the wealth the home generates but because of the consistent act of building a little wealth month by month for 25 years, and for want of a bit more disposable income they chase a promotion, raise, or more valuable skills.

I believe there is a similar function in marriages, parenting, and other relationships -- the act of working through challenges makes you a "better" person at least in the regards of perspective, negotiation, less selfishness etc.

Of course, like basically everything in every discussion, there are exceptions but lets not focus on those because it makes it difficult to talk about anything save for physical laws.

[Tao332]

> For any bit of resentment about how the world has treated you, pouring yourself into someone else can at least give the solace that for them they will not suffer as much as you have

Personally, I'm shocked at how just having kids has healed a lot of my held resentment. I used to look back at moments in my life that I wished had gone differently. Now I see that if you gave me a time machine and the chance to go back and change how I responded, I can't do it because I'd be erasing my kids.

I wouldn't even be able to stop the covid pandemic, selfish as that may be.

[travisgriggs]

> But on that note, have multiple kids AND get a pet. You'll never have a free minute again.

But then you’ll flock to these addictions because you feel you need an escape.

I have four kids and a ShiTsu.

[nonamenoslogan]

Or multiple pets and no kids, got 2 labs, a cat, a fish, and a cockatiel--its never boring at my house.