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Originally Posted by
MadMojoMonkey
Yes, monogamous, long-term, living together.
I notice you didn't answer the age question. I'll take that to mean that her biological alarm hasn't gone off yet. So if you're at all serious about this no kid thing....I'm going to give you some sincere advice right now. Secret Vasectomy. You're welcome.
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The independence is in my lack of obligations to raise children occupying 90% of my waking thoughts.
What??? Just don't be a bad parent, and take a big % of your thoughts back.
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The independence is in the lack of a need to ever find a babysitter.
Ummmm.....they have a mother.
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The independence is in the lack of needing to spend most of my money on clothes, food, school supplies, etc. for any children.
This is kinda pathetic. Kid clothes are cheap. They eat very few calories, and in the first years, they get it right from the cow anyway. And how much do you think school supplies are? Kids have smartphones now. They don't need to buy graphing calculators. If any of this is a problem for you, then you need to find a better job. The kids aren't the problem here. If you're saying that not having kids gives you the 'freedom to underachieve'.....that's not a reason to celebrate.
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The independence is in the freedom to take a week-long vacation without needing to buy 2x as many plane tickets, meals, hotel rooms, etc.
I can see how this might be a problem if you're someone who rides the bus to work. However, if you had a kid, I'm guessing you'd get yourself a car. Now, imagine you had a car. A car can take you roughly 400 miles in a day. Draw a circle on a map around teh city of St Louis with a radius of 400 miles. Are there any viable vacation spots in that circle?
Why would the kids get their own hotel room? And if you didn't go on vacation, you'd still have to buy the kids meals.
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The independence is in never being awoken in the middle of the night by a screaming human whom is too ill-equiped at their current age to deal with simple human emotions like being afraid of the dark.
Right, you need your rest for that grueling work day you have, lol. And honestly, this almost never happens. If you're a good parent, your baby will be sleeping through night by 4 months old, and then you get on with your life.
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Seriously, I could go on for quite a while.
Please do.
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I can accept that you get a great deal of fulfillment from raising a family, but fulfillment is not the same as happiness.
Happiness is not a viable goal. Check out Jordan Peterson (maybe you already have). He explains it best. Life isn't about finding happiness. It's about cultivating a 'meaning' that will sustain you through tragedy. Huge difference.
Take the people who aspire to retire "sipping margaritas on a beach". That's not happiness. That's a travel brochure. In real life, after 8 margaritas, you wouldn't be good for anything except a hangover. After a week of that, you'd be bored out of your mind. After a month, you'd be horribly depressed, of not suicidal.
Happiness is just not a viable doctrine. It takes more to live a good life.
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After you've invested a couple decades of your own stress, you get a human friend whom is among the best, most loyal to be had. That's a great bonus after all that stress, but not worth it, IMO.
Dude....you are in denial
I mean, you've already explained to me that you get satisfaction from seeing students learn how to blow up soda cans. Imagine teaching a person more than just blowing up soda cans. Imagine you get to impart every single piece of knowledge and wisdom that you know. And then you get to watch that manifest in another human being. And when you see that human being succeed because of it, it is indescribably validating. Basically your alleged job-satisfaction x1,000,000,000.
How in the world did you come to the conclusion that the only "bonus" here is making friends??