[silicon2401]

> Yes, there are benefits, but if you haven't reached the point of wanting a dog simply because you want a dog, then getting a dog probably isn't the right choice.

Do you make all major life decisions in this way, i.e. just wanting something because you want it? Would you encourage someone who's violent and abusive have kids just because they want them, too? It's a genuine question because it's shockingly unrelatable to me. Everything from my diet to my career to my friends and hobbies goes through a cost-benefit analysis. This sometimes surprises people, but I'm surprised how often people are stuck in situations like an abusive relationship precisely because they act on emotional impulse rather than analyzing whether or not they should want something.

[david422]

Wanting something is the prerequisite for then continuing further. Kids aren't something you can do a cost-benefit analysis for and then change your mind.

[silicon2401]

Is that true for you? I've changed my mind about major things in my life through cost-benefit analyses.