Children...

Here's a question... Why does it seem like the people who have their heads together, or what not, are usually the ones who decide not to have children? Not saying this happens all the time, but I see it more often than I would expect. What do you guys think?

I don't understand what our saying.

Most philosophers in the Western tradition hated children, (ie: St. Augustine, Martin Luther, Nietzsche, and Dr. Seuss) if these great thinkers do not like children, then why should we?

It only makes sense.

Children are like black holes: they suck up time. Ever since my little ray of sunshine was born, I have a chronic lack of time.

Maybe those great philosophers knew this. It is common knowledge that men who have to provide for a family, do not have much time to ponder the great mysteries of life.

The fact that these philosophers have shunned children, does not make them greater men in my eyes. When I had to choose between a life of solitude and thought and a life with a family, there was not much of a choice to make. I knew that philosophy would always be my mistress, but that she would be second to my wife in most ways.

Living is more important to me than thinking, for what would I think about if life did not provide me with the matter?

I also believe that one has to get your hands dirty to really know what you are talking about: Experience first, philosophy second.

(Months later) - I think I know what you're alluding to, merelunacy. I suspect that the people you refer to have put their heads together and asked some valid questions such as-

"Do we both really want children?"

"Can we afford to provide the beginnings for what we consider a good life to another human being, and still maintain the lifestyle we want for ourselves?"

"Is the societal pressure we may feel to have children grounded in something sensible and realistic in the world we live in? -After all, in the end, it's our choice and responsibility."

Not to say that all people who have had children didn't ask these questions, I'm sure many did. ...I'm also sure that many did NOT, which is a shame. A child deserves to have parents who have the maturity to ask AND answer such questions.

I think it is that people who don't think are the ones who have unprotected sex and have lots of children. More thoughtful people tend to think of the longterm consequences and thus take proper precautions to not have children when they do not want them.

At the risk of making people angry...as a parent and a degreed philosopher, author and lover of quiet thinking time I have noticed a correlation between not having children and a part of the would-be adult (educated/philosophical) mind that itself doesn't want to give up childhood and it's unencumberances. In other words, there's a selfish streak in philosophers. They may blame the choice to not have children on overpopulation and whatnot, but if you dig a little deeper, the real answer is that they don't want to have to give up their "game time", ie their puzzle solving time.

Thinking is addictive and for deep thinkers, there are endorphins involved in puzzle-solving, not unlike what other gamers feel when they say, successfully raid on WoW.

There does seem to be an inverse relationship between intelligence and reproduction, witness the American South. (I can say that, I'm from Texas )

Dogs are even worse than kids. Thinking people keep cats

I have to agree with you there. Dogs are so needy.