In article <
eb6573c1-110e-4fc9...@googlegroups.com>,
Lenona <
leno...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 10:28:02 AM UTC-5, Kenny McCormack wrote:
>
>> What I don't understand (seriously - not rhetorically) is why they call not
>> having kids "narcissism". Isn't having kids the ultimate narcissism?
>> Wanting to create a "little me" - to "carry on the line" ?
>
>As you know, it's based on the idea that "only selfish people don't
>want children."
I don't think "narcissism" is synonymous with either "selfish" or "lazy".
They mean completely different things.
Yes, I know (and this is not a criticism of you) that nowadays, people tend
to use words sloppily and don't really care about what words actually mean.
They (words) are just stones to be thrown at your opponents; it doesn't
matter what those stones are made of.
As I said, a narcissist is quite likely to have children - lots of them -
as monuments to how great they are.
>Which is sort of like saying "only selfish people don't want pets or
>houseplants."
>
>Or, "only LAZY people don't want children."
BTW, I freely admit to being lazy. It is part of why I sensibly chose to
be CF.
That, and the fact that I never, ever, saw any percentage in parenthood.
BTW (again), you cannot simultaneously insist that X (for any X) is a
great thing (in fact, the greatest thing ever) and that you will be
instantly happy once you have X *and* also that being X is your civic duty.
If the first were true (that it is great and that you will be instantly
happy), then the second is irrelevant and would never ever be mentioned.
That you (rhetorical you, not you personally) have to mention the second,
invalidates the first.
>Seriously. Would anyone accuse a childfree firefighter, doctor, or teacher of
>being lazy or selfish?
Yes. I don't see why not.
All of those people (members of those professions) are expected to be
parents too.
>Why do priests and nuns never get accused like that? (I assume the
>main answer is that serving God is the only "better" occupation than
>parenthood, and that having to forfeit sex somehow proves their
>unselfishness.)
Because religion has a special status in our culture, that protects it from
any criticism. It is a legally protected form of insanity.
>Not to mention all the famous people in history who never had children,
>whether by choice or not?
To be fair, a lot of famous (and productive) historical figures were pretty
shitty human beings. Childfree or not.
--
To most Christians, the Bible is like a software license. Nobody
actually reads it. They just scroll to the bottom and click "I agree."
- author unknown -