Oh no I agree with you 100%. Its been a generation of ME, ME, ME, ME in Western Culture. Community doesn't exist anymore, at least not in the US. Even marriage has changed and not for the better in this country.Free wrote:Sort of in the minority here, but I personally see children as very important.
For sure there are certain freedoms I see about a child-free life and more things you can pursue, but I look at a larger picture. I think in some ways, it can be much more beneficial to not think of self so much and to therefore be willing to make a sacrifice for a greater good. From time memorial, no one promised having children would be easy work, but it is required in the most basic sense for our survival, starting from, as a human species, and then if you like, by ethnic group to ethnic group. If for example, too many in a certain ethnic group become more and more selfish, materialistic, disconnected and make a deliberate choice to not have children, and yet ethnic groups around them have 5+ children per couple, it's only logical, before time, they will cease to exist. Instead though, for their survival, and humanity in general, they carry on the innate urging, not think of self, put self aside, and make this contribution or sacrifice (however one looks at it) for the greater good.
What happened to community? Thinking of the community, our extended selves and the like.
There is of course a form of looking out for one's self that is beneficial, we need to start with ourselves being the best we can so therefore we can ultimately contribute the best to others. I don't call this selfishness. Selfishness is more of an ugly state and, as we can see too much today, is damaging many things!
For example, discussed many times here about people being in cliques and thus hard for friendly outsiders to get to know others, many times it can be traced to selfish people, doing their own thing, not thinking, caring of others. Today of most days, we need community more and more, yet selfishness is more and more on the rise.
Kind of a side path rant there, at any rate, just wanted to bring a sort of different flavor to the thread.
The answer is not to say "f**k That".