1088
All you do is take! (discuss.online)

Blobby and Friends

source

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 80 points 1 day ago

My opinion also, but in a slightly darker radical tone that I never share otherwise: bringing someone into this world of suffering is a misguided act of unconscious selfishness and whoever does so owes all available effort to reduce that suffering. In practice, no one is able to acquit themselves of this debt, which is why I hope I never have kids...

that just sounds like anti-natalism and those people kinda weird me out

[-] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

I think it's exactly that, although that's a name I've only learned of recently... Sorry about the weirding out. I can understand how it sounds when it's not a conclusion you've reached on your own already.

[-] ieGod@lemmy.zip 4 points 15 hours ago

Having your own kids is literally the most selfish thing you can do. You want to spread your genes.

Now before you dogpile, understand this doesn't imply its morally wrong, or bad, or anything of they sort. But it is selfish.

[-] Zarobi@aussie.zone 48 points 1 day ago

That's a very nihilistic view that implies existence is not worth anything. Personally, I believe that existing is actually beautiful and worth experiencing, even if it sucks sometimes and has inherit suffering. Otherwise we might as well all lie down, stop eating or drinking, and wait for death. Kids don't see the world as suffering and pain — they enjoy every moment with unjaded, curious eyes.

[-] 0ops@piefed.zip 32 points 1 day ago

Kids don't see the world as suffering and pain — they enjoy every moment with unjaded, curious eyes.

Well, you know, ideally

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 13 points 1 day ago

Kids don't see the world as suffering and pain — they enjoy every moment with unjaded, curious eyes.

Nah, this is fake news. I hated being a kid and was passively suicidal. Once I was an adult, I got to trans My gender and be happy.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
[-] datendefekt@feddit.org 16 points 1 day ago

I have no idea where you get the idea that having kids is selfish. I spend so much of my time, attention, money and love on them. We share their pain, success and all their ups and downs. My wife gave up her career as an architect to spend more time with them.

We take care of them now, and they will take care of us later. That’s not selfish, it’s human. And this might be news for you, but this world was always a rough place to be if you’re not born rich.

And if you’re hinting that your kid's CO2 footprint and consumption potentially contribute to climate change, you’re also forfeiting their chance to contribute to positive changes.

[-] alsimoneau@lemmy.ca 1 points 21 hours ago

You're the meme. Did they asked to be there? Yes you're "giving" them a lot of your energy, but they are owed that. That's not generosity, that's responsibility.

Having kids is inherently selfish. Prove me wrong! Name a single reason to have them that doesn't involve you.

[-] datendefekt@feddit.org 2 points 19 hours ago

By that logic taking care of a pet or senile relatives is also selfish. Or working as a missionary, or emergency worker. It boils down to the question if being selfless is in itself a selfish decision.

Were we just stupid? Naive? Following our biological program? I don’t know. But I know that I love my children above all else and would throw myself under a bus to save them.

I guess it can be hard to imagine loving someone without expecting anything in return, if you haven’t received that kind of love yourself.

[-] alsimoneau@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 hours ago

The big difference here is that these individual already exist. You're not creating a life for your own amusement.

[-] declaredreprimand@piefed.social 21 points 1 day ago

I think it’s more that the act itself, of having the child, is a choice that is made without the consent of the life being brought into the world. Every child is forced into existence through decisions that are not their own.

Of course, it’s impossible to get consent from the violated party, but it’s still a decision parents take for their own reasons, not the child’s reasons.

[-] conartistpanda@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

The kid didn't need to exist, you made them do so because you wanted something from them for you or those around you, things like love, something to care about, a helping hand etc. That is selfish by definition.

We take care of them now, and they will take care of us later. That’s not selfish, it’s human.

That is selfish AND human. Although something being human isn't very relevant, considering things like greed or ill will are also human.

Wanting future generations to fix climate change is also pretty selfish, so it's a bad example. They're also likely to be powerless just like us.

Of course, not having kids in order to not make them suffer is also selfish, but It causes the least ammount of pain, well, except for the part where you will have to take care of yourself when older, but thats our problem.

[-] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

There are indeed misanthropes, but they're also a very small minority.

[-] thepig@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago

I agree with you. I often challenge people to give one selfless reason to have a child, just one.... to this day, no one has been able to give one reason. When you look at it, having a child is a selfish action

[-] Hoimo@ani.social 20 points 1 day ago

There are plenty of reasons that aren't selfish. You can do it for humanity, for justice, for style points, for Narnia... If you want to logick those into being selfish, that's your own moral framework talking. Every action is a subjective choice from a subjective perspective in the end, but people can still have non-selfish intentions, however misguided you may judge them.

[-] thepig@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 day ago

For humanity? We are over 8 billion people in this world, you think humanity needs another one to share resources ? Let me guess your's will be special of course, better than all the rest. For justice ? I don't even understand your logic here. It's not subjective it's just selfish, you are not having a kid for the good of others, you having one because you want one, consequences be damn

[-] Hoimo@ani.social 6 points 1 day ago

I think you're missing the point. Having a child for Narnia is not selfish, it is literally for the good of Narnia to have another strong Narnian. But you're operating under a moral framework where even the good of Narnia is ultimately good for the Narnian, therefore it is selfish to want Narnia to be strong.

Do you have to agree with the idea of a strong Narnia? Of course not. But it's a very narrow way of thinking to explain every human motivation through selfishness.

[-] BrokenToY@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Gahidus@lemmus.org 15 points 1 day ago

To give someone a chance to experience the pleasure of living.

To contribute to the world an additional person of quality and integrity.

You probably just haven't been asking very thoughtful or articulate people.

[-] thepig@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

God bless your heart if you are this naive 🦄🌈. In the real world pleasure is the exception, pain and death are a warranty in this world. I'm sure you can warranty you'r Kid will be 100% healthy, live a life free of trouble and pain 🫅🏻

[-] bridgeenjoyer@gamepad.club 5 points 1 day ago

@thepig in my experience these folks think everyone is either rich or has zero disabilities of any kind when thats actually about .00000001% of humans. Or theyre really young and have no idea how much life sucks (but make the best of it anyway if youre here)

[-] thepig@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

True. I am not religious or even spiritual, but I gotta admit that the budists got it right when they say "suffering is a fundamental constant in life". Thinking everything will be sunshine and rainbows is not optimism, it's just being naive.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
[-] andxz@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

Might not be selfless as such, and I'm not in any position to speak for women in general, but when that biological drive kicks in, it can do so pretty damn hard.

That's still satisfying your own need, but perhaps more subconsciously so than people having children without thought or care.

Me and my wife agreed on not having children when we were young, but we've never regretted the son we got after a pretty radical twist in our mid 20's. I could go on, but it's complicated.

In today's world, if I were young again, I'd never even give it serious thought, though. Different times, although it doesn't feel that long ago.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Gahidus@lemmus.org 8 points 1 day ago

In all honesty, lots of people have children not even because they especially want to, but because they feel obligated to by their role in society. That's not a reason many people are likely to give, but it's not a selfish reason.

[-] thepig@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 day ago

It is selfish, you have a kid because you don't want to handle other people's opinions about you, giving in to the pressure is easier that standing your ground, more comfortable to. So because you don't want to argue with your parents and deal with the backlash, you decide to bring another human being into existence. That's pretty selfish

[-] Gahidus@lemmus.org 3 points 1 day ago

Meeting your obligations is the most unselfish thing you can possibly do. Doing things out of obligation to others is the fundamental unit of unselfishness.

[-] thepig@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

Not really, standing up to what you know is right, even when it gets you criticism, that is not selfish. Doing things cause people tell you to do and you don't want to bother going against the flow cause it's uncomfortable is pretty selfish. What obligation ? Our planet is over 8 billion people, do you think the human race is going extinct? It might very well go extinct if people keep pumping up children like there is no tomorrow, consequences and lack of resources be damn, I want a kid.

[-] bridgeenjoyer@gamepad.club 4 points 1 day ago

@thepig oh man, sooooo many people fit this mold. "Because I have to. Because its what you do". No. Its not. You dont have to do ANYTHING.

[-] thepig@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

Indeed, I do not want to shame people who decide to have a bunch of kids if they truly want to, but they should really think about their choices and the consequences, because at the end of the day, those people that pressured you into having a kid will not help you if things go wrong, I'm talking about mental and physical illness, I am talking about financial destitution, I'm talking about accidents, and 1001 other things that can happen

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] forkDestroyer@infosec.pub 7 points 1 day ago

having a child is a selfish action

Are all selfish actions bad?

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[-] dkppunk@piefed.social 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

which is why I hope I never have kids

If you truly believe what you say, don’t just hope you don’t have kids. Either get fixed or don’t have sex.

And I already put my money where my mouth is, I got fixed to ensure I will never get pregnant.

Edit: Sorry if I come off rude in a comment like this. As the daughter of a man who didn’t want his kids and blamed my mom for getting pregnant, I get really frustrated when I see guys “hope” they don’t have kids or when guys whine about taking care of the kids they didn’t want. Don’t want kids? Get fixed or don’t have sex.

The dude I replied to understood that and started the process. It’s sexy when guys take control of their fertility like that. More men should be like this guy.

[-] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

You're totally right. I really should, and I will.

EDIT: I actually started scheduling a vasectomy right now. I had wanted to do one before but things were a little more complicated then and it had slipped my mind in the meantime / did not seem as relevant. Now is a perfect time however.

Thank you for getting me moving again.

[-] dkppunk@piefed.social 3 points 19 hours ago

Honestly dude, good for you! And I promise I’m not being facetious here. I’m super happy you got motivated to get a vasectomy. I had my fallopian tubes removed a few years ago and it was a massive weight lifted off my shoulders to know I will never again be pregnant.

I’m really fucking proud of you for taking that step!

[-] bridgeenjoyer@gamepad.club 5 points 1 day ago

@NoSpotOfGround yeah simply put youre totally right. Sure, there's good in this world (if youre rich) but lets face it, life is mostly bad and we would all rather be having an eternal slumber instead. We are just here making the most of it because we have to. Say this in public IRL and youll be utterly crucified though. To me its just logic. If you have a kid either by accident or choice, I dont care. But dont make me feel like its required.

[-] forkDestroyer@infosec.pub 6 points 1 day ago

The more selfish you are, the harder it is to be a good parent.

That being said, not everyone should have children, and: "I was a perfect parent too before I had kids."

[-] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Not all parents are like what you think.

[-] Gahidus@lemmus.org 6 points 1 day ago

Existing is more pleasurable than not existing, and you can always choose to stop existing if you want. On balance, it is better to be born than not to be.

load more comments (1 replies)
this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2026
1088 points (100.0% liked)

Comic Strips

24381 readers
1792 users here now

Comic Strips is a community for those who love comic stories.

Rules
  1. 😇 Be Nice!

    • Treat others with respect and dignity. Friendly banter is okay, as long as it is mutual; keyword: friendly.
  2. 🏘️ Community Standards

    • Comics should be a full story, from start to finish, in one post.
    • Posts should be safe and enjoyable by the majority of community members, both here on lemmy.world and other instances.
    • Any comic that would qualify as raunchy, lewd, or otherwise draw unwanted attention by nosy coworkers, spouses, or family members should be tagged as NSFW.
    • Moderators have final say on what and what does not qualify as appropriate. Use common sense, and if need be, err on the side of caution.
  3. 🧬 Keep it Real

    • Comics should be made and posted by real human beans, not by automated means like bots or AI. This is not the community for that sort of thing.
  4. 📽️ Credit Where Credit is Due

    • Comics should include the original attribution to the artist(s) involved, and be unmodified. Bonus points if you include a link back to their website. When in doubt, use a reverse image search to try to find the original version. Repeat offenders will have their posts removed, be temporarily banned from posting, or if all else fails, be permanently banned from posting.
    • Attributions include, but are not limited to, watermarks, links, or other text or imagery that artists add to their comics to use for identification purposes. If you find a comic without any such markings, it would be a good idea to see if you can find an original version. If one cannot be found, say so and ask the community for help!
  5. 📋 Post Formatting

    • Post an image, gallery, or link to a specific comic hosted on another site; e.g., the author's website.
    • Meta posts about the community should be tagged with [Meta] either at the beginning or the end of the post title.
    • When linking to a comic hosted on another site, ensure the link is to the comic itself and not just to the website; e.g.,
      ✅ Correct: https://xkcd.com/386/
      ❌ Incorrect: https://xkcd.com/
  6. 📬 Post Frequency/SPAM

    • Each user (regardless of instance) may post up to five (5 🖐) comics a day. This can be any combination of personal comics you have written yourself, or other author's comics. Any comics exceeding five (5 🖐) will be removed.
  7. 🏴‍☠️ Internationalization (i18n)

    • Non-English posts are welcome. Please tag the post title with the original language, and include an English translation in the body of the post; e.g.,
      Sí, por favor [Spanish/Español]
  8. 🍿 Moderation

    • We are human, just like most everybody else on Lemmy. If you feel a moderation decision was made in error, you are welcome to reach out to anybody on the moderation team for clarification. Keep in mind that moderation decisions may be final.
    • When reporting posts and/or comments, quote which rule is being broken, and why you feel it broke the rules.
Banned Artists

The following artists are banned from the community.

  1. Jago
  2. Stonetoss
  3. GPrime85

It should be noted that when you make reports, it is your responsibility to provide rational reasoning why something should be removed. Saying it simply breaks community rules is not always good enough.

Web Accessibility

Note: This is not a rule, but a helpful suggestion.

When posting images, you should strive to add alt-text for screen readers to use to describe the image you're posting:

Another helpful thing to do is to provide a transcription of the text in your images, as well as brief descriptions of what's going on. (example)

Web of Links
Other Comic Communities of Interest

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS