trigs;353774 wrotesorry but i completely disagree with this point. i agree that the decision to have or not have a child must be based on some sort of selfish characteristic. it necessarily has to be since we're talking about how one wants to live the rest of their life.
however, choosing to have a child (even if in a small part for the selfish gain of happiness and self satisfaction), and even more choosing to have your own instead of rescuing the desperate and dying ones seems much more selfish imho. both of those decisions are based on your personal happiness. honestly, i would find it very hard to believe you if you stated that you chose to have your own child for the sake of the child and humankind. that should be the reason, but it never is.
I will stipulate, as to the greater selfishness of wanting a child vs. not. A matter of degrees only, and in my opinion small beer. Moving onto the bolded section . . .
One can live a fulfilling life without marriage, but my belief is that my life is better for having met and married my wife.
One can live a fulfilling life as a childless couple, but I believe our lives are enriched by our daughter's presence, and that we enrich hers.
I believe that, in the manner in which we raise our daughter, the world will be a marginally better place, as we hope to impart such values to her that this will occur. As she is only 1 of 7 billion, it will be an infinitesimal improvement, but an improvement nonetheless. And who knows? Her art may one day inspire others, or allow her to begin great philanthropy (or others to do so when she is gone). Not likely, but always a remote possibility. Ripples on a pond . . .
Is there a certain amount of ego in that belief? Of course . . . but ego exists in all human activity.
Could we have accomplished the same thing by pulling a child out of poverty through adoption? Absolutely, but I have stated my thoughts about that previously so will not reiterate them.
But leaving all those ruminations aside, why should having a child be about the betterment of humanity? Why can it not be simply about the betterment/fulfillment of our own lives?