They can eat out anytime, go to any concert they desire, buy any gadget. They feel secure and safe, they work hard only due to expectation and societal pressure but a few many are self driven
And they don't think like ohhh we don't have capacity to have kids. They infact say they can have kids anytime they wish and they aren't missing out on something.
It's kinda network effect.
You go on social media, you see indepdent guy bunjee jumping and some couples posting photos of their kids, which one gets more likes? Obviously bunjee jumping one. So, we are conditioned to seek inviduality/freedom/lack of family responsibilies.
I would say, increasing workplace responsibilities are also to blame.
If you are CEO of a company, i think you've same profile of busy time as a normal guy with a baby who has to take of it.
But which one gets more praises? obviously the one who takes corporate responsibilites.
I don't know if someone gets praises for having kids. Infact, if you are trying to adjust your babys carrier while walking on footpath, people are like wtf? Why can't these guys keep their baby at home.
Baby cries, same, wtf....why can't these guys keep their baby at home?
You feel embarrassed and feel like you did something wrong.
> They can eat out anytime, go to any concert they desire, buy any gadget. They feel secure and safe, they work hard only due to expectation and societal pressure but a few many are self driven
To what extent is the ability to consume a substantiated good and to what extent is it an illusory good?
Which illustrates the disgusting superficiality and emptiness of those people.
I once listened to a lecture where the ethos of consumerism was blamed for the paradox of low birth rates among higher earners over lower earners, that is, you don't find that happening in non-consumerist societies. The reason was that higher earners were more likely to be keeping up with the Jones' and thus preferred to spend their extra income on buying crap and showing off. This tendency might actually be reversed among very high earners who can afford to do both. (FYI, the cost of having an additional child in a traditional society is actually cheaper as you have more children.)
I believe the low birth rates among higher earners has to do with the simple fact that high earners are more carrier oriented (for various reasons). It's hard to educate yourself and bring up children at the same time (my wife is currently there). Anecdotally, a friend just recently failed her (unpaid) PhD because in France (where she lives) in her field you have 4 years to finish. She is Middle-eastern, and she decided to have two children during that period.
Some countries (take Cuba for instance) have little consumerism but their birthrate remains low (dysfunctional economy + educated population).
It is not only consumerism and money or things. A women in consumerist countries has a lot to loose by having child - you won't be fully same and equal as before. In non consumerist the loss is not the same.
Sad truth. I feel like this is very generational though. Where I live (Spain) adults and older people are generally very sweet towards kids, they really appreciate the presence of kids. The younger generation already has a much colder/negative (noticeable) attitude towards kids.
Have you thought of why people who have kids create groups? I'm starting to think that it's much like a defensive mechanism, a form of protection.
My overworked friends don't feel that helpless.
They can eat out anytime, go to any concert they desire, buy any gadget. They feel secure and safe, they work hard only due to expectation and societal pressure but a few many are self driven
And they don't think like ohhh we don't have capacity to have kids. They infact say they can have kids anytime they wish and they aren't missing out on something.
It's kinda network effect.
You go on social media, you see indepdent guy bunjee jumping and some couples posting photos of their kids, which one gets more likes? Obviously bunjee jumping one. So, we are conditioned to seek inviduality/freedom/lack of family responsibilies.
I would say, increasing workplace responsibilities are also to blame.
If you are CEO of a company, i think you've same profile of busy time as a normal guy with a baby who has to take of it.
But which one gets more praises? obviously the one who takes corporate responsibilites.
I don't know if someone gets praises for having kids. Infact, if you are trying to adjust your babys carrier while walking on footpath, people are like wtf? Why can't these guys keep their baby at home.
Baby cries, same, wtf....why can't these guys keep their baby at home?
You feel embarrassed and feel like you did something wrong.