[ExI] FW: How fun could doom intelligent life to a blissful extinction

[William Flynn Wallace]

The easy way out of the dilemma: the couple donates their sperm and ova to
the banks. So they can have lots of children and not have to raise them.
 bill w

On Thu, Jul 20, 2023 at 7:14 AM efc--- via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> This is a very interesting subject.
>
> I read a story in one of the local swedish mainstream newspapers where
> anonymous couples where complaining that society expects people to enjoy
> having and raising children, and that they severely regretted having
> children.
>
> The reason where the responsibility, the lack of autonomy, restrictions,
> cost etc. All the couples said that officially they all expressed intense
> happiness since that is what society expects, but in private they where
> all unhappy with the decision of having children.
>
> Another angle is that I think women are more biologically driven to enjoy
> having and raising children than men. I personally for instance, find most
> children annoying but for my significant other, there is no higher dream
> and expression of self worth and identity. Couple this with, in sweden at
> least, a tendency to more and more singles, and you there have a dampening
> factor as well.
>
> Last, but not least, you have all the other reasons, religion, financial
> security, custom etc.
>
> So many reasons, and I am convinced that a rapidly changing society, where
> more people will lead better and better lives, where goods will cost less
> and less, will naturally lead to a weakening of the drive to having
> children.
>
> Best regards,
> Daniel
>
>
> On Wed, 19 Jul 2023, Adrian Tymes via extropy-chat wrote:
>
> > Some people - not everyone by any extent, but a significant enough
> fraction of people - find it fun to have and raise children.  In
> > this scenario, perhaps only they would create further generations, but
> they are enough that further generations would continue to be
> > created.
> >
> > On Wed, Jul 19, 2023 at 5:08 AM efc--- via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> >       Hello everyone,
> >
> >       I think this raises interesting questions of ethics and the
> "purpose" of
> >       mankind.
> >
> >       If we agree that happiness is the the ultimate goal, and not the
> survival
> >       of the species, then why not stop having children if we can get
> along fine
> >       with robots and AI:s?
> >
> >       Perhaps, assuming life extension or "immortality", there will be a
> final
> >       generation?
> >
> >       Best regards,
> >       Daniel
> >
> >
> >       On Tue, 18 Jul 2023, spike jones via extropy-chat wrote:
> >
> >       >
> >       > I posted this right before the ExI list barfed.  Posting again.
> >       >
> >       > spike
> >       >
> >       >
> >       >
> >       > -----Original Message-----
> >       > From: spike at rainier66.com <spike at rainier66.com>
> >       > Sent: Saturday, 15 July, 2023 4:14 PM
> >       > To: 'ExI chat list' <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
> >       > Cc: 'BillK' <pharos at gmail.com>; spike at rainier66.com
> >       > Subject: RE: [ExI] How fun could doom intelligent life to a
> blissful extinction
> >       >
> >       >
> >       >
> >       > -----Original Message-----
> >       > From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On
> Behalf Of BillK via extropy-chat
> >       >
> >       >
> >       >> ...If the pursuit of happiness is the primary explanation for
> our decreasing fertility rate, this tendency might be
> >       true not just for humans but for all intelligent life — providing
> a possible explanation for the Fermi Paradox.
> >       >
> >       > <
> https://bigthink.com/the-future/pursuit-happiness-doom-intelligent-life-blissful-extinction/
> >
> >       > -------------------
> >       > ...
> >       >
> >       > BillK
> >       >
> >       > _______________________________________________
> >       >
> >       >
> >       >
> >       > BillK, this is really as plausible an explanation for the Fermi
> Paradox as any I have heard, and perhaps the most
> >       pleasant one.  Having children is a way to experience happiness,
> but it is a risky bet indeed.  If we find sufficient
> >       alternative routes to happiness, the notion of having children
> becomes ever less compelling.  If we find alternative
> >       routes to the pleasures of copulation and all those cool
> endorphins we get from love, that whole risky activity isn't
> >       worth the effort either.  Result: not enough young people to run
> the world we already built for them.
> >       >
> >       > But of course nuclear war could wipe out most of what we have
> done, creating the need for rebuilders and family people,
> >       so we might save our species in that horrifying way: radiation
> therapy.  Or the singularity could kill us, but I don't
> >       think it would kill people who have never seen a computer.  They
> might survive to build it all back.
> >       >
> >       > spike
> >       >
> >       >
> >       >
> >       > _______________________________________________
> >       > extropy-chat mailing list
> >       > extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> >       >
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> >
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