- A would-be parent asks whether it's selfish to have children today because the world's going to hell.
- By all means, have kids!
A reader asks the New York Times's "The Ethicist" whether it's selfish and morally wrong to have children today because the world is apparently going to hell in a hand-basket because of climate change.
"The Ethicist" (Kwame Anthony Appiah) provides a long, thoughtful response to this question that boils down to, "yes."
Kwame's got that right!
Today's 24/7 bombardment of horrific and alarming headlines — including many generated by Insider and the New York Times — can create the impression that life is somehow worse or more dangerous or more uncertain today than it has ever been. And, therefore, it might be mean or selfish or irresponsible for would-be parents to bring children into the world.
Nope! Life is a spectacular and astronomically unlikely gift, no matter where or when it happens.
But more importantly, despite climate change, et al, the world actually isn't worse than it has ever been. In fact, across most measures that affect the quality of human (if not animal or plant) life—life expectancy, income, health, death by violence, medicine, social awareness, and justice, to name a few — it's getting better all the time.
If you want a comprehensive review, Harvard University professor Steven Pinker expounds on many of these trends in a 2018 book called "The Better Angels of our Nature." But for immediate visual evidence, the chart below from the treasure-trove site "Our World In Data" sums it up.
Over the past 200 years, the percentage of humans who live in extreme poverty has declined from 76% to 10%.
There are dozens of other encouraging trends like that.
Yes, 10% of humans living in extreme poverty is still way too many. And our world is heating up. And many of us still do suffer unduly and kill each other and die too early in tragic ways. There are still too many diseases and conditions that cripple and incapacitate us. Our education and justice systems need work. Our societies are still rife with unfairness and inequality. The oceans are full of plastic. The rainforests and animals are being decimated. There are still wars. And so on.
In short, we do still have a lot of pressing problems that we need to solve.
But we've always had those. And we always will.
Back in the 1960s, when my parents bravely decided to bring me into the world, the fear that was dominating the conversation was nuclear annihilation (arguably worse than climate change). That's still a risk, of course. Fortunately, we've managed to stave it off for the past half-century. Hopefully we can continue to.
And, of course, in those days, cigarettes and booze and cars and planes and medicines and other products were routinely killing and maiming us and destroying our lives and wrecking the environment, and our manufacturing processes were a lot less safe than similar ones today. (When I was a kid, it was considered totally responsible parenting to throw your kids in the car with no seatbelts or car seats!)
And, yes, over the 57 years that I have been lucky enough to be alive, many of my peers have died far too young, including some who — through no fault of their own — found life too difficult to continue. And, like most families, mine has seen our share of difficult times and tragedies.
But I am grateful that my parents stomached their fears and brought me into the world.
And I don't know anyone who feels differently.
So, yes, worried would-be parents, by all means have children. Life is a gift. Eventually, if they live long enough, your kids will be grateful to you for giving it to them.
Also, if you're even thinking about a question like this, it means you care — and, chances are, you'll pass that thoughtfulness and sense of responsibility on to your children.
And we need more people like you in the world.