If you ever encounter me at a party, please do approach. As you can probably imagine, bringing up such things in conversation rarely makes one the "life of the party," and these are exactly the kinds of topics that have earned me a bit of a reputation as a buzzkill lol. Don't get me wrong, I do remember how to let go and just enjoy the moment, but I have indeed said something to the effect of "children can't give their consent to be born into this terrible world and it strikes me as cruel to do so on purpose" at what was probably, in hindsight, an inappropriate situation lol. I will blame it on being a painfully blunt autistic person, which is why I often hang out with the family dog at parties.
I had myself sterilized when I was 23. I decided even a decade before that I would not be bringing children into this world. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews now, and can try to pass on any info or knowledge they may want in the future. For now I’ll just keep rescuing cats and dogs!
See, I'm a huge fan of your work, but I've gotta disagree on this one — it's a subject my best friend and I have debated at length for some years, and this has finally given me an opportunity to put it to writing.
Things are about to get real busy for me in the next month or so, but I will write a response to this piece at some point and tag you when I'm ready to publish. I'd say we agree on everything but our conclusions lol.
In the meantime, more power to you! I admire your consistency and breadth; it's something I aim to emulate.
I already didn't exist, and that lack of existing didn't stop a life from being imposed. Therefore not existing is completely worthless at stopping a life from being imposed. If this life wasn't the one to do "the imposition", then some other life would have. My lack of existing wouldn't be able to stop it, just as my lack of existing wasn't able to stop this life, a life from being imposed. So... If it isn't one life it's another.
Brilliant piece. It struck a deep chord with me—especially as I’ve often thought about how people seem to procreate on autopilot, as if the Matrix itself had programmed them to do so. There’s no pause, no questioning—just a seamless insertion into the system, like mindless cogs fulfilling a function. It feels less like a conscious choice and more like a default setting, deeply wired by cultural scripts and economic design. Your point about capitalism’s dependency on reproduction hits hard—especially now, when we’re seeing a resurgence of traditional roles, almost as if capitalism is doubling down in desperation. Women, in particular, are being subtly (and not so subtly) pushed back into domestic spaces—not because it’s empowering (even when packaged as such), but because it sustains a capitalist-patriarchal order where the earner rules the household and unpaid care work props up the whole system. Thank you for articulating this so clearly. It’s unsettling, but crucial to name.
I appreciate your writing on this subject, Antonio.
I recently republished a piece on my personal experience making the decision not to have children, and what part the structures of capitalism played in that process. Might be interesting to you, especially as you say you’re still on the fence... →
If you ever encounter me at a party, please do approach. As you can probably imagine, bringing up such things in conversation rarely makes one the "life of the party," and these are exactly the kinds of topics that have earned me a bit of a reputation as a buzzkill lol. Don't get me wrong, I do remember how to let go and just enjoy the moment, but I have indeed said something to the effect of "children can't give their consent to be born into this terrible world and it strikes me as cruel to do so on purpose" at what was probably, in hindsight, an inappropriate situation lol. I will blame it on being a painfully blunt autistic person, which is why I often hang out with the family dog at parties.
Haha feel absolutely the same. We would get along magnificently ♥️
I had myself sterilized when I was 23. I decided even a decade before that I would not be bringing children into this world. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews now, and can try to pass on any info or knowledge they may want in the future. For now I’ll just keep rescuing cats and dogs!
See, I'm a huge fan of your work, but I've gotta disagree on this one — it's a subject my best friend and I have debated at length for some years, and this has finally given me an opportunity to put it to writing.
Things are about to get real busy for me in the next month or so, but I will write a response to this piece at some point and tag you when I'm ready to publish. I'd say we agree on everything but our conclusions lol.
In the meantime, more power to you! I admire your consistency and breadth; it's something I aim to emulate.
Looking forward to your piece!
I already didn't exist, and that lack of existing didn't stop a life from being imposed. Therefore not existing is completely worthless at stopping a life from being imposed. If this life wasn't the one to do "the imposition", then some other life would have. My lack of existing wouldn't be able to stop it, just as my lack of existing wasn't able to stop this life, a life from being imposed. So... If it isn't one life it's another.
Brilliant piece. It struck a deep chord with me—especially as I’ve often thought about how people seem to procreate on autopilot, as if the Matrix itself had programmed them to do so. There’s no pause, no questioning—just a seamless insertion into the system, like mindless cogs fulfilling a function. It feels less like a conscious choice and more like a default setting, deeply wired by cultural scripts and economic design. Your point about capitalism’s dependency on reproduction hits hard—especially now, when we’re seeing a resurgence of traditional roles, almost as if capitalism is doubling down in desperation. Women, in particular, are being subtly (and not so subtly) pushed back into domestic spaces—not because it’s empowering (even when packaged as such), but because it sustains a capitalist-patriarchal order where the earner rules the household and unpaid care work props up the whole system. Thank you for articulating this so clearly. It’s unsettling, but crucial to name.
I appreciate your writing on this subject, Antonio.
I recently republished a piece on my personal experience making the decision not to have children, and what part the structures of capitalism played in that process. Might be interesting to you, especially as you say you’re still on the fence... →
https://innerlifecollaborative.substack.com/p/the-man-pays