Lately I've become quite sympathetic to #antinatalism.

And yet I have two kids, and if I were to start over again I think I would decide to have kids again.

How's that possible?

(thread)

First of all, I'm not _that_ convinced that antinatalism is true. I still have major doubts or objections. At the same time, my instinct is to want to have children.

I don't think that is hypocrisy. I usually want to be as rational and detached as possible. But when reasons seem weak or risky, and intuition plus tradition plus social norms plus advice from those close to me point somewhat strongly in the opposite direction, the gut can override the brain, and I think that's indeed reasonable.

Second, even though I think that life is mostly #suffering, including human lives, that is just a generalisation, an average. Some lives one can expect to be miserable in all likelihood, while others are set to be as good as possible — even a net positive.

I live in one of the most prosperous countries on earth. I earn well above the average salary here, and so does my wife. We are relatively healthy and free of major health conditions. No history of relevant communicable diseases in our families, no major mental health issues, addiction, or tendency towards violence. We eat reasonably well, we are calm, we don't spend recklessly.

I expect our children to have lives that are better than the average human being's. Perhaps even lives worth living, after all.