Why do human beings want to have children?

Question

Answers like we would not be here if everybody thought the same, is in a true sense not appropriate. We are here doesn't mean we are in a bliss. It can be a curse to be born here. Looking for children in one time I can say was a need. It was the time when human race was minority in the world and had a threat from other animals. To protect themselves they probably needed more children. It does not seem to make any sense now. World is bloating with human population. It is not fun either to have children. You cannot presume the child you are gonna get is divine either.
If it is to prove that we are capable of giving birth or are able to create then it is not very good. We have to grow out of it and think much better. I definitely don't want to say that its good to not have children at all. looking at the current population it seems it should be done only in a more wise way. The reasoning that we want our ambitions to be fulfilled by children is unwise.

If we are looking for the things that we could fulfil to be completed by our children, then that is a bigger mistake. If they fail we will suffer more. Is it proper wisdom? If think its a joy that is not true either. It is just an illusion. It all depends on our thinking.
Its not an inbuilt biological desire or urge either. Many of them clearly don't want it. We are not that stupids as animals. Sometimes we just have a lack of wisdom of things. Honestly to me having children is more of wanting to carry your ego forward. Can't we think any better at all? I think it is a good idea to have children with the thought of making good to society. If it is for ego it is just ways of animals. How many ever reasons we comeup with, they sound like a coveruop to our egoistic nature. Isn't that right?

Then what noble cause makes everyone make this decision? Your answers can let me identify if we are just bound by illusion or maya or if there is a true good cause.

I wnated to make 2 points. Sorry for for ading more but after reading couple of answers I realized they are making very unreasonable comments.
1. Yes, the question is too long but without that how could I precisely point to something what I wanted to ask. These type of questions could obviously lead to multifarious answers that I am no way interested. Thats the ONLY reason for adding so much detail. I think it is still less detail.
2. This question hasn't got anything to do with any type of sex. Did I mention anything about male of female here. This is NOT a sexist question at all.

Answer 1

Because the urge to propagate the species is one of the most fundamental instincts of any species the world has ever seen. If we weren't compelled to procreate at our most basic level, the species would never have survived.

Answer 2

not all people want children, and some take precautions to aviod pregnancy. This is wise as there are others who do not want children and irresponsibly fall pregnant. Sometimes accidental pregnancy can be initially unwanted but once the concept of becoming a parent has settled in, they are very happy willing parents.I think that those that want children, do so for a variety of reasons. It may be their cultural role, a social convention, the next stage in their life.
Perhaps their childhood experience was so enjoyable that they want to create a life and enjoy happy times like they remember. Some people have children so they have their genetic line continue. It also means that they are not alone in old age. Some people just love children and want their own. Others want something to fulfil their life.
Even though someone may want children, there is no way of knowing how easy or difficult life will be with them. Children give us extra challenges that we learn to overcome everyday. This gives us personal and emotional growth.
Children are a full time committment for a lifetime but that does not mean that is all there is to life.

I am a mum of a 6 year old intelligent, cheeky and challenging boy (since his birth!) but I am also self employed (music teacher), and a full time uni student. My husband is also a music teacher and uni PhD resesarch student. We believe that we can still be successful parents and strive for the carreer path that we want. Children do not stop that, they just mean that we have to work a little harder.
As far as population explosion, humans are breeding very slowly in comparison to 50+ years ago. In those days, it was quite the norm to have 10 children. The problem these days is an explosion in the older generation (70+). with so many living into their 90's as medical technology is so good, we are having difficulty supporting them. In the old days, people died off from disease and population numbers were controlled naturally.
The real problem here is no worrying about why we have children, but to make sure that we educate our children well to find solutions for the survival of our planet for future generations. OUr environment is so badly destroyed that we are probably not going to survive another hundred years anyway. My concern for the future children is that they are going to have to survive and clean up the mess that we have made of their planet.

You do not state that you have children or not but from reasing your question post and your other post on women being liers I think that you are just a religious nut who thinks that eve taking a bite out of the apple has cursed women to be evil temptations that you should avoid. I think that your natural inclination is for an attraction to women (not gay) but you fight it and it is causing a psychotic reaction. I also think that you had an unhappy childhood or terrible parenting. Perhaps your father dictated to you the same views you are dictacting to us.

I initially thought you had some good points but then I read your other posts and realised that the root of these essay qustions are derived from something very dark in your past.

by the way, if this answer was too long and bored you, then feel for us that have to read your long winded question!

Answer 3

Personally, I often ask myself the same thing. I also agree with your opinion that we should think carefully about having children, as looking after children (even other people's) is a big committment and responsibility that shouldn't be entered into lightly, but I know that others disagree. However, I don't see myself as facist and I'm sure you're not either! What is facist about questioning the way things are and why we behave in a certain way. If we don't ask, we don't learn. What is facist about that? I

Anyway, I would personally say that it depends on the individual. Some people have children because they want them. i.e. they are very caring individuals who want to bring a new life into the world and look after them.Other people do so because it's the 'done thing' or the latest must have accessory. Other people bring children into the world by accident. Other people bring children in the world because it is what society expects them to do. I'm not going to say whether these are good/bad reasons because I don't have children, and even if I did, I don't think it's my place (or anyone else's for that matter, which I think some people on here have either forgotten or fail to understand) to judge people on their attitudes towards this issue.

From an evolutionary psychological point of view (this branch of psychology explains human behaviour in terms of darwin's theory of evolution), human beings have children, in order to reproduce/pass on their genes which allows the human species to survive. In order to survive, we need to be the best example of the species that we can be and be the quickest at coping with our changing environment (Darwin called this the survival of the fittest). When selecting a mate, we therefore need to be very careful. A man can father lots of children with lots of different people, whereas a woman can only give birth to a few children at a time and will spend the next few decades looking after Junior! Although, a lot of time has passed since our cavemen (and women) days, evoluntionary psychologists believe that many people still have this idea in the back of their minds when forming new relationships.

I know this probably isn't the answer that you were looking for but I hope you found it interesting!

For more information on this branch of Psychology, read one of the following:

Introduction to Psychology, Malim and Birch

Psychology for A2 level- Cardwell, Clark and Meldrum

Psychology for A2 level- Eysenck, M

Answer 4

Firstly there is a drive in any species to reproduce, and to make sure that your genes go through to the next generation, but its more than that. Children offer us a possibility of perfection. When they are born they are perfect, no hang ups no dreadful fears, clean and wonderful, and its then up to us, to make sure that they stay wonderful. Of course this is not entirely possible, but its a something to aim at. The other thing that having a child gives us is a link between the past and the future, we pass on our genes, and our family line continues, making us a part of a linking chain all the way back into the dim and distant past. We have provided another link.

The other reason, and in my opinion, the best reason is the experience the absolute love, no holds barred, no questions asked love. I know that I would do anything to protect my son, I would cheerfully lay down my life to protect him, without any question in my mind, and to experience loving another person like that has been the best thing in my life. Ever.

Answer 5

I am not sure whether you wan to control the population or are questioning your place on the earth.

If you are wanting to control the population then I would suggest that is welll ...for want of a btter word - fachist! I understand what you mean by population explosions etc, but as humans we do what we are able to do and one of those things is procreate, whether that is right or wrong is a debateable point.

It seems to me that you are in fact having a personal existensial crisis. Are you questioning your place in the world, are you wondering what the point of it all is? Well join the queue!!

I have kids, I can sustain them, I did not have them to fill a void, make me laff, work for me or anything else like that...some people have kids for the wrong reasons..but you cannot control that element of society without controlling the rest too...see communist china...

My kids are fun at times hard work too but hey that is life.

.I dont think I can answer this properly for you sorry!....I dont realy get what you are getting at!

Answer 6

We have the need to drive ourselves nuts! Kids are great but they have a way of bringing out ALL of us don't they?

We have a social obligation to procreate (used to) and those who didn't were looked at as outcasts. Now with the earth complaining about the number of people on it....we're allowing that opinion to slide a bit.

Germs multiply until they can't. They eventually kill themselves off.
Ebola is in the deep forests of Africa just being it's own nasty little self in it's perfect chosen environment' not looking to expand or take over but merely to survive in it's small 'cities'.
Then comes man....wanting to ever increase his territory and not caring of the consequences of others, (be it animal, bio forms or other humans) comes into contact with a city of bio forms that are VERY adept at protecting their tiny piece of the planet, and consequently gets wiped out by the tens or hundreds or how ever many has foolishly 'attacked' their city.
They will be the last ones standing, not us two leggers with no respect for anything especially another that is in the way of progress. Know what I mean?

Answer 7

You are trying to fight an instinct with reason.
Every living thing shows this desire to propagate, and having offspring always comes with a cost, yet evolution dictates that all life shall attempt to procreate, at all costs.
So we humans, lords of reasoning find it surprising that we follow such an unreasonable law of nature, but the fact is we are the slaves of our instincts more than we care to admit.
If people acted reasonably on that issue, than rich people, people in more developed societies, less crowded environments should have more children, but the opposite is true, the poor in every country, and especially the poor in poor countries, have an effluence of children, with a promise for life of poverty.

Answer 8

There are both biological pressures and social pressures that supply this so-called need to procreate. It is also to do with an inate survival instinct, not only to do with the human race in general but also the survival of the genes of the individual concerned. Ego plays a part, too (as usual! ;-) )

Ego Fatigo

PS I also think that it is one of the greatest challenges facing humans (and other animals) that of raising young, and facing challenges often very personal ones.

Answer 9

employing the Bible as my source, I even have discovered that the English notice 'angel' comes from a Greek notice for 'messenger.' subsequently there are 3 varieties of messengers (angels) stated interior the Bible. [a million] God almighty Himself is in numerous verses noted as the "chief messenger." [2] people often have the function of bringing messages. for that reason additionally they are noted as messengers (angels) interior the unique languages of the Bible (Greek). [3] Ministering spirits from time to time carry messages. additionally they are noted as angels. The notice 'minister' potential 'servant.' From this understanding we can with out situation see that the trouble-free function of an angel (messenger) is to hold and furnish messages. counting on the context of the Bible verse we could desire to make certain which form of messenger is being spoken of. Then we can start to have a extra precise understanding of precisely what his function is. source(s): for extra or less 10 years I even have been guided in my bible learn by employing Mr.Harold camping out of relatives Stations, Inc.

Answer 10

It's fun to create, it's natural, but it's going to help destroy our notion of humanity. It's something damn near everyone can do, and that's why the bullet in the chamber is a fetus.

It's part of our cycle, it's part of every animal's cycle. Breed, feed, bleed, die.