I don’t have kids or know if I want to but here’s what I came up with: 1) to prevent the Idiocracy effect, smart people should have children or adopt 2) overpopulation might save our species in case of an extinction level event 3) this life or existence as we know it may be as good as it gets, so maybe it’s a gift that we should pass on to the next generation...as Lucy would put it, our purpose is to pass on knowledge

'You Must be Kidding' was an article in the 5 Sept 2015 issue of New Scientist. It goes through all the negatives of having children and then asks why we still do it. I have never been interested in having children even though my girlfriend is baby crazy at present (not going to happen). I just don't see anything I want from the experience. Certainly nothing worth all that time and effort.

If you want them, have them. I'm a Transhumanist so think technology will solve most of our problems of resources etc. in the near future if we don't destroy ourselves first. We are nowhere near over populated. we just choose to live on top of each other.

1)To learn if your capable of loving more than yourself,2) to choose to love more than yourself and 3)to show you love more than yourself.

There can be no greater joy and no greater pain in loving a child either by birth or by heart. Too many people drift in and out of parenting like an outfit ot hobby they're trying out. You cannot rely on philosophical meanings against biological urgings. Be true and be rational whichever route you take.

I already have them; now I can't get rid of them. Just kidding, dude. Ask yourself if you want children, then go out and find somebody who thinks like you and go at it, with love and tenderness and hope for the future.
If you want to carry the fate of the world on your shoulderts, then do that. Don't have childre, reduce your carbon footprint, consume less and be always awere of the consequences of your action. That will be your reward. and thank you.

1 because kids make me happy. 2 because lots of people suck but lots of people are awesome too, so theres a chance you could make an awesome person who could help the world in some way. 3 hooray for diversifying the gene pool. and on a side note, even though you refer to it as a motherly instinct, i know several men who looked forward to starting a family and wanted very badly to have children. i don't think thats just a woman thing. just like not all women want to have kids.

I will start by saying that I don't agree with your opening premise - I don't believe that we are overpopulated and I don't believe that a dwindling of natural resources is necessarily a bad thing. We'll improvise and smarter people will come along to lead humanity down a new and more environmentally responsible path.

Speaking for myself, I was motivated to have kids because I felt that I had a responsibility to continue the DNA - to keep the family line going. Why? Because when you think about what made you possible - why end it now? For you to be here today, your ancestors endured climate change, multiple wars, famine, drought, plagues, slavery and so on - the list is too large to list. I felt that I owed it to those that came before me to continue what they started.

There's absolutely no good reason to have a child. People either want it for their own selfish reasons or not.

I think you'll find the masculine urge to pass on his genes (to as many partners as possible) are just as strong as maternal instincts. But apart from that sexist comment there are no 3 good reasons to have a child. The reasons are selfish biology. Instead of going through expensive and intrusive IVF, it would be far more altruistic to adopt a child.