What do you say to people without offspring who are pessimistic?

*However, as

I say they're right

We are all the product of millions of generations with successful lives and there will be successes in the next generation too. If you think your life has been worthwhile then pass on your successful genes to the net generation. Life will go on. It is their choices which will make or marr their lives. Let your genes be part of the next successes.

"We're Doomed" said in a Scottish accent per Dad's Army Private James Frazier. I don't mind that people want to remain child free, the planet has an ever increasing population and its up to them and all thier reasons are valid. When it's about the planet though, or more precisely the global warming isdue, I do wonder sometimes how much the pessimists do towards helping the fight against global warming. We have been given new cardboard recycling bins with detailed instructions on what should go in each of the three bins. People are still putting wrong things in them, get a warning label then the next time the bins are not emptied. On local FB groups the overwhelming response is...'I'll just stick everything in the black bin then, stuff the council. ". Honestly, if you are of sound mind and able bodied it's not rocket science and it's not the council they are stuffing, it's the planet. Everyone can do a bit even if it's recycling, eating less meat, buying local, buying less plastic and clothing. People shout....'Its personal choice, you can't tell me what to do!' and yes it is. If we aren't part of the solution, are we part of the problem? As for wars, the have been going on for generations and every so often we get some despot wanting to take over the world. We are lining the pockets of countries like China buying their goods and Russia buying their fuel. We take peace for granted, me included and don't see things happening right under our noses. Optimistically, I have great faith in the younger generations, they are more switched on than I was at that age and I believe the tide can be turned by them. I think people are either glass hald full or glass half empty and people can always find reasons to justify either point of view.

Sorry for the typos, sausages for fingers

M0nica

People have been doom saying since time begun. Back in the 1960s people were saying the same things about not having children because it wasn't fair to have children when they were going to be bombed out of life or into terrible illness at any moment.

It was said in the 1930s under the shadow of Hitler and war. Yet life has rolled forward. Once Global warning is dealt with, the doomsayares will find something else to worry about.

True.
Bet you can go back to any period of time, as there were wars,
Famine, plague and so on, and people would be shaking gloomy heads and saying the same.
Impossible at any time in human history to make the near future safe for the next generations.
If everyone thought such doomladen thoughts about procreating the human race would die out.
So OP, I would say that to anyone who moans about the state of the world.

Anyway OP, having children and grandchildren is a wonderful thing, sure wouldn’t be without ours!

The obvious conclusion to no one have any children is the human race dying out. Is that what these apparent pessimists want?

I am child free by choice - not a regret . Those that want but can't re childless. I am concerned about the future for the future generations but don't tell those with children of my fears - they can't stop being a parent.

I was able to and did have much loved children. My family being the love of my life.
Would never ever change this. Such love is not something measurable.
Yes the world is changing and has been ongoing since creation. Let our children deal with the changes. Because the world is evolving is a lame excuse not to have children. Have children and love them.

The end is nigh.

Not.

I worry about my grandchildren. It happened in Ukraine and it could happen here too.
I know there’s nothing I can do about the future except hope for better times.

'Let our children deal with the changes'

must say I find this very sad and selfish.

Well said @Dickens.

Fleurpepper, spot on - and so irresponsible too. Our grandchildren can't undo all the damage we've done. Still, there's the ever popular options on GN - of denial, rose-coloured spectacles, nostalgia - and sticking heads in the sand!

The beginning of man was at a very difficult time. All through history, people have reproduced through starvation, disenfranchisement, war. It is the imperative that God placed in us, and, just as we have conquered other things, we will get around the problems we have now. I don't think people realize what a hellish place this planet would be with not enough people to help sustain the lives of the people already on the planet. Most of climate change is a natural occurrence which has gone on since time immemorial. We can do things to help prevent pollution, absolutely. We cannot change, at least now, and probably never, the total global climate. Hopefully, when they start to do that stuff, it will be on Mars, and we won't have to put up with it. I've talked to enough people and read enough to know that a lot of our efforts at recycling wind up at zero. Some of our trash is in China. Some of it is just in places we don't know about. There have been numerous companies who have been found to not be doing what they're supposed to be doing with all the recycling. We can't put all our hope on what our efforts are. I wouldn't want to live in a world where children were not wanted or welcomed. I dare say if we did our best and asked God for help, we would all be better off.

I can’t imagine not having had dds, and now Gdcs.

Having said that, there have always been awful things going on in the world - I’m sure people thought the world must be coming to an end during the Black Death - whole villages wiped out, or nearly so.

Only until relatively recently, most people were just not aware of so many awful things, whereas now, we have it dinged into our ears and eyes almost non stop - unless we try to avoid being bombarded with all the relentless bad news.

As for my parents’ generation, going through 6 dreadful years of WW2 with, for quite a while, no idea of the eventual outcome. But people were still having babies.

I do think some people - thankfully a minority - do positively enjoy wallowing in doom and gloom - a modern equivalent of those old blokes who used to go around with placards saying The End is Nigh!

On a lighter note I’m reminded of a character in The Darling Buds of May (the book) - Edith? - who was constantly saying, ‘Isn’t it absolutely ghastly?’

Nannapat1

The obvious conclusion to no one have any children is the human race dying out. Is that what these apparent pessimists want?

some logic in that, considering the mess we have made of the earth, no?

I’m all for choice, for those of us lucky enough to decide whether to have children or not, rather than have the choice made for us

I was fortunate in being able to have children, now in their late 30’s with children of their own. I’m aware of the dangers of climate change, the instability in world and national affairs. I don’t feel pessimistic in the way some posters are.

My family history isn’t unusual in being littered with poverty, deprivation, children in workhouses, 8 surviving children when 15 were born, 18 year olds killed in ww1 and on it goes. It’s also littered with love, family connections, commitment to making the best of life.

I don’t believe we are all doomed. Of course change is necessary, the human race generally has a greater desire to live than to give up.

If I'd had knowledge of the future to know I would be estranged, I would have chosen to just have the one child who still lives with me.

It would have been kinder to the planet, to my body, to my finances and I would not have been abused by my own child. Who could know back then. But now, it's more obvious how much trouble we are all in. I could understand today's parents just having one child.

If anyone chooses to think that way, they can have no children or only one child, how that can help is anybody’s guess.
Think of the past generations who served in the first world war, then lived through the depression, then their sons going off to the second world war.
Think of having children and grandchildren who do their bit in the service of humanity, breakthrough vaccines and drugs,
Police, armed forces, firemen and so on.

It would help the environment to only have one child. Also the NHS. Also schools and public services.

It should be a choice though.

Lucky our parents didn’t feel that pessimistic as the bombs were falling on London

I look out at the beautiful sunshine today, the green trees and profusion of flowers and think our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are seeing this and feeling uplifted . Every life is a life as they say. I didn’t have a very happy childhood but I am still glad I got to have it,nevertheless.

Somewhat flippant - and I speak as an adoptive mother - but I do wish that Donald Trump and Putin 's parents had decided to not have any children, ditto Johnsons parents!! Ah well at least whatever state we find ourselves in we did not have these lunatics as our children!!