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Yah, I don't have a lifestyle conducive to caring for a dog either. I mentioned above it's plants for me. Even a cat wouldn't be great, given travel for work, social life, coming home late, etc. A dog would hate me. Reptiles and fish might be okay. No mammals or birds. Or humans.
I enjoy not having kids. But I also enjoy not having a dog I have to run home and feed and let out and calm down, which a lot of people have to do.
It's true that almost no one gives spends much time thinking about it before having children.
It seems that the more trivial the decision, the more we deliberate over it. We analyze deeply the choice of which refrigerator or which lawnmower to buy, or which pair of pants. But how much to we bother to consider our retirement-plan options, and our investment portfolio? The more remote and more momentous decisions are hard to grasp; we just fall into them. This, I think, applies to the mos momentous decisions of all: whether to have kids (or how many), and whether to get married (and to whom).
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Originally Posted by harpoonalt
The world has become a place with a very uncertain future. Global warming, terrorism, school shootings, drugs , crime and the economy all weigh on peoples minds. It's hard to imagine the world being a better place in the years to come. Bringing kids into this world feels like dropping your loved ones off in a bad neighborhood.
My impression is that such thinking haunts every generation, or at least the more thoughtful members thereof. Were we not sure 50 years ago that nuclear catastrophe was imminent? I wonder what prospective parents thought in the 1930s about the seemingly interminable collapse of prosperity and the rise of hardship. Would times ever get better? What did people think in the aftermath of the French Revolution, or in the 14th century during the Plague? Hard times come and go, but in every such spasm of despair, it seems that the bad times will never end.
Instead I'd argue that the reason to forego having children isn’t that our present times happen to be bad, or pessimism over the future, or regret that the good days are forever behind us. Rather, I'd place the decision to forego reproduction in the context of the overall human condition, in what it means to be humans – the joys and the travails. Personally, I'm fairly optimistic about the future. On the whole I find mankind getting wiser and more genteel, despite some spectacular setbacks from time to time. Even so, I'm not supportive of the act of giving birth. Instead I cleave to the antinatalist position.
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Originally Posted by strawberrykiki
I am 30, single, and have 2 small dogs. I always really wanted to have children. Now, it seems the older I get the less excited I am about having kids and I wonder if a lot of other people feel the same way.
I'm heartened that some younger people are feeling that way, as they get older; that improves my own dating-prospects! But unfortunately the decision can often go in the reverse direction. Exhibit A is my own ex-wife. For years she was adamant that kids are an unnecessary burden and a woeful responsibility. Then, approaching 40, she completely changed her position, and our marriage collapsed over it. Now she's remarried, and has a baby.
Why Men Have Dogs: 1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you. 2. Dogs don’t notice if you call them by another dog’s name. 3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor. 4. A dog’s parents never visit. 5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across. 6. You never have to wait for a dog; they’re ready to go 24 hours a day. 7. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing. 8. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?" 9. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away. 10. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert. 11. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don’t get mad. They just think it’s interesting. 13.. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck. And last, but not least: 14.. If a dog leaves, it won’t take half of your stuff.
It seems that the more trivial the decision, the more we deliberate over it. We analyze deeply the choice of which refrigerator or which lawnmower to buy, or which pair of pants. But how much to we bother to consider our retirement-plan options, and our investment portfolio? The more remote and more momentous decisions are hard to grasp; we just fall into them. This, I think, applies to the mos momentous decisions of all: whether to have kids (or how many), and whether to get married (and to whom).
This is so true. I sometimes think people have kids mostly to show off or keep up with the Joneses.
This month the Pope asked couples not to substitute having babies by adopting dogs and cats instead. Apparently this came on the heels of the Centers for Disease Control releasing data which shows that there has been a dramatic drop in births, matched by an increase in the adoption of very small dogs. Dogs (and cats to a lesser degree) are filling our lives nowadays more than ever.
Is this the new family? Man, woman and dog(s)?
There are many views as to why this is happening. A friend of mine (female) claims that children move away when they become adults, so there's no longer an advantage for couples to have children. Another friend (male) claims it's the indoctrination of Gloria Steinem. I think he's absolutely out of his mind. I, too, have my own guess as to why this is happening.
I doubt there is direct correlation favoring couples not having children. It is just that the same group of common sense couples are getting pets before having children. The poor won't be adopting animals, but will likely still have a bunch of children.
Why Men Have Dogs: 1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you. 2. Dogs don’t notice if you call them by another dog’s name. 3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor. 4. A dog’s parents never visit. 5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across. 6. You never have to wait for a dog; they’re ready to go 24 hours a day. 7. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing. 8. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?" 9. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away. 10. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert. 11. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don’t get mad. They just think it’s interesting. 13.. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck. And last, but not least: 14.. If a dog leaves, it won’t take half of your stuff.
A man has a dog and a wife. How can he tell which one loves him the most?
He can lock them both in the trunk of his car for an hour, and then open it and see which one is the most happy to see him.
I enjoy not having kids. But I also enjoy not having a dog I have to run home and feed and let out and calm down, which a lot of people have to do.
Which is why I will never own a dog. Way too needy. My cat is just fine while I'm gone all day. I usually bring him with me when I go up north for a week but if I go for only a couple days or go camping for a weekend, I leave out two bowls of food & two bowls of water. Can't do that with dogs. I think dog owners might have the same issues as dogs, they tend to be needy or have interesting commitment issues. This is of course my own observation after my own personal experiences with people who have dogs.
However, there are some people I know right now that I seriously hope don't have children for a few more years, if at all. They are extremely immature and in one case, I don't think their marriage will make it through the summer. it will be easier to rehome their two dogs, should that become necessary.
My wife and I are in our late forties.We've been married for 22 years. We decided prior to marriage that we would have no children. Both her and I still feel the same way with absolutely no regrets.
We instead concentrated on education, travel and volunteer work for various charities that we care about.
We have a rather large home (approx 5200 square feet) where our six cats have full run.
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