50 Antinatalism Memes That Explain Why Some Folks Don’t Want To Ever Have Kids

So, r/Antinatalism is a subreddit that supports the belief that having kids is morally wrong and can’t be justified.

The subreddit encourages open debate among members (of which there are 215,000 at this point) and visitors alike, as long as everyone treats each other with empathy, compassion and respect.

The issue of antinatalism is more than just not wanting to deal with having kids. It doesn’t officially state I don’t wanna as a reason behind it, but nobody’s stopping anyone from assuming that stance.

Anywho, there are a handful of reasons why antinatalists think reproduction is problematic and those can be boiled down to 5 key concepts.

The most straightforward reasons in support of antinatalism are the facts that [1] life entails inevitable suffering and that [2] death is inevitable.

In other words, why put someone through a life of indeterminate length, unknown perils (instant or chronic), struggles, strives and tribulations, for it all to end in an even more unknown end is unpleasant to say the least.

This also roots into the idea of gambling with another person’s suffering. Sure, some (and, seemingly, a majority) of people turn out happy overall with the lives they lead, but there is never a guarantee for it.

By proxy, extending your gene pool is akin to gambling with another’s suffering.

Then we have the argument of I didn’t ask to be born. It is generally accepted to ask someone for permission, but how do you do that with someone who won’t even be able to make decisions until several years into their life?

The answer in the eyes of the antinatalist is to not even impose that choice by not creating that situation. But it does make you think.

Lastly, some argue that there is an axiological asymmetry—the concept of good things and bad things not always having the same and opposing consequences when they are considered as existing or not existing—between good and bad things. With that logic, coming into existence by means of procreation always turns out to be a harmful thing.