Hurray :) 31 and no kids here, don't plan on having any. My habits and personality would make me a freakin awful parent and I would hate it more than the kids would after they grew up having me a parent.
"And then it dawns on you, your purpose in life: It's love. A life without love is a life without purpose and completely meaningless. And I'm not talking about the kind of love you feel for your soul mate. That love is not invincible. I'm talking about unconditional love. The kind of love only children have to give and would die inside without it."
What a prick. If your life is meaningless without kids go move to the midwest and shack up with some girl out of highschool desperate to get kids. My life certainly isn't meaningless. I get a lot of enjoyment and meaning out of my life, but perhaps I'm different than most since I actually consider intellectual challenges meaningful.
Haha I know, I lived in South Dakota for a while... its amazing how many of my friends parents were disappointed with them for not being married with children shortly after school.
Children, like puppies, also don't stay that way forever. I hate this idea that children don't grow up into flawed, possibly terrible people on occasion. No love is "invincible".
They gave their personal, seemingly heartfelt opinion. How does that make them a prick? Further, I don't see invented false dichotomies helping the discussion: Many people remarkably manage to accomplish both professional and intellectual success and to raise children.
Except he gave a blanket statement saying that without love of children life is meaningless. In effect saying that all of us who don't want kids are doomed to live a hollow meaningless life and die a lonely death having accomplished nothing.
That's what makes him seem like a prick. Maybe if it was a personal revelation but he is saying it will happen to us all but we're not wise enough (or our mortality isn't visible enough yet) to realize it.
It's about as snippy as if someone religious told me I'd burn in hell unless I came to god... the only difference is that I know for sure that religion is bullshit, but having kids is a fact and really you can never be entirely sure if its the right thing or not. So this is actually a subject worth being passionate about.
I know this sounds tired, but 31 isn't really the typical age when people start having regrets.
At 31 I was still going to dance clubs. Even then it was weird because most people there were in their twenties. Now it would feel even weirder, although I think I might go again now and then...
Just saying that the things that seem like fun when you are 31 might not always be fun when you are older. One example might be dating. Of course not necessarily.
So no thanks, no kids for me.