I found an interesting post on the internet, somewhere on Reddit.

Initially, it said:

Companies really managed to convince people that working a shitty 9-to-5 was better than raising kids.

For me, it was an intriguing thought. There are many conspiracy theories, and some of them are about depopulation. This comment was about companies. It suggested that making people think this way is in their interest.

However, I do not think any corporation acts with that level of intentionality. They require workers, certainly, but it is we who accept that responsibility. Many people also want to lead comfortable and convenient lives. Having children would require them to give up some of that convenience. I think that is the real reason.

Then an edit followed:

Edit: you guys are right, I’ve seen the light. Kids suck, hedonism all the way. Jerking off to anime, playing games 30 hours a day, and arguing on reddit is where it’s at. Who needs a family, retirement and fulfillment when we can indulge 24/7, fry our brains constantly, the world’s probably gonna end soon anyway. The top minds of reddit have shown me the way.

It’s wild how many of you think being the 20th to reply “kids suck” or send me hate and wish my kids dead in DMs makes you look good. Wack behavior.

So yes, there is a lot of hostility on Reddit. Especially when you make someone look bad or challenge their views. People can become very defensive. If they disagree with you, they may try to tear down your argument because it threatens beliefs that are important to them. They become annoyed by the possibility that their house of cards might crumble.

What the author wrote contains an interesting insight for me. It can seem as though the choice is between remaining alone versus investing a significant part of your life in family. One offer more money, more time for yourself, more lets say freedom. The other may offer more fullfillment, more happiness. Both ways do not guartee anything. If you put your heart to work, your company may reject you. Same with your kids.

It is also interesting that these choices often have to be made shortly after our formative years, when we are still leaving our comfort zones behind. We may be maturing later and later in life. In many ways, we remain big kids, arguing online about trivial matters.

Maybe when I am old, it would be nice to have someone call me on my birthday. Maybe it would be nice to be visited by grandchildren from time to time. Perhaps I am romanticizing these things, but I think they are part of being human.

“I reject nature!” shouts a penguin in Penguins of Madagascar.

More and more often, we seem to play through life rather than plant seeds, nurture them, and enjoy their fruits later.

But I do not think companies taught us this or manipulated us into thinking this way intentially. We have done it to ourselves. We repeat slogans that are not necessarily true. It is often difficult for the truth to rise to the surface. People usually discover what is true only after they have lived through much of their lives. With that hard-earned knowledge, they can reflect on what was good and what was not.

If companies are guilty of anything, it is of selling an image of the easy, convenient life. They sell beauty, travel, and comfort. People desire these things, and sometimes that desire prevents them from embracing the deeper happiness that can come from family and long-term commitments. “I need more. I want more.” And so they reject anything that stands in the way.

We are susceptible to that allure, and we fall for it. In that sense, we are partly responsible for our own exploitation.