On Progenies

Babies can get so hysterically cute. And messy. The good thing is, they will not remain so forever.
Drawing from http://www.pencil-portrait-drawing-artist.com

I don’t have anything against reproduction.

The world would benefit if the people who are dying (or who will eventually die, which we all will do, no matter what) would have somebodies to replace them.

Take Japan and Singapore, for example. They are currently encouraging their populace to Make Love and Have Kids.

Granted, making love (a.k.a. having sex) may be regarded separately from “being a parent” — which is what having a child/children is all about. Well, ideally … because let’s face it, some creatures have progenies but fail to become parents.

(I am actually talking about hamsters and sharks and lions who eat their young. But yeah, humans can do that too … if they are so inclined.)

I sometimes wonder what the point of reproduction is.

There have actually been books written on the subject, like Christine Overall’s “Why Have Children” (which I have yet to finish reading) and “The Ethics of Parenthood” by Norvin Richards (which I have yet to read).

Sometimes, I look at the mothers at the clinic with their newborn babies, or at the pregnant girls/women about to give birth; and I wonder: why do you even bother?

I would ask one of them pointblank, why did you get pregnant? And they would also look at me with blank expressions.

Again, at the risk of sounding defensive, I don’t have anything against children. At their best, they can be these wonderful creatures who will someday become adults (if they don’t die).

But sometimes, I look at them, and at the process of bringing them out and raising them, and I just feel tired.