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Comment by ars | Hacker News Reader

He needs to get married and have a kid.

He doesn't want to because he thinks it's too easy, but he's still a human.

He should definitely not have a kid. He seems of the opinion that life is painful, and he has wished he had never been born (well, he has wished he had "killed himself when [he] was born", but there's little difference).

To "have a kid" is to create another person who might well wish to never have been born, another person who will have to decide whether or not it is justified to bring kids into this painful world.

I am glad that RMS is so honest about it. Most people cover up their unhappiness.

A classic dilemma, but I suppose then nobody should have kids, by that logic. Or only stupid people should have kids, who are unable to see the dark sides of life.

No, that's not what was said. It's about RMS not wanting to replicate his miserable experience for someone else.

Did RMS say that, or just that he himself had a miserable experience? My point is, if only people with thoroughly happy lives should have kids, then probably only stupid people would have kids.

No, RMS didn't say that, I did. I don't know how RMS feels about this; whether he doesn't want kids for the sake of the kids, or for the sake of those living now.

I myself am indeed of the opinion that no one should have kids. Life is a very mixed bag. Nonexistent people don't suffer the bad, and don't miss the good. Everybody wins! Or rather, nobody loses. :-)

It would probably be better for the whales if nobody had kids.

When nobody can possibly lose, that means nobody can possibly win, either.

. . . which sounds a lot like everybody losing, at least to me.

He is on record as not wanting to have a kid because in his view the planet is over-populated. Also, I don't fully understand (due to lack of inquiry into it) his view of marriage but I'm fairly certain that "thinks it's too easy" is not accurate.

I guess Richard Dawkins' selfish gene theory and Free Software Foundation don't go together. :)

Generating a baby isn't the only way to "have a kid", though. I haven't really seen what he's said, but that reasoning always rings hollow to me.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/bos/533096562.html

I'm not 100% sure if that was put up by him, but I've been told that it was.

Let's assume that's his post.

I'd think Stallman would have no problem finding an interested woman, provided he emphasized his fame rather than a self-described lack of "success".

All the people grabbing cheap cool points by dumping on the man are ultimately making it harder for him to get a date, and that's just needlessly cruel.

His fame is very subjective. He's not famous in a way that is attractive to the average woman, hence his difficulty in finding an ideal mate.

I would presume that if Stallman has romantic troubles, it's due to something other than people dumping on him.

You think he's not finding a woman because he's not famous in a way that's attractive to women?

Hilarious.

How about this: he has a very arrogant personality, the ego the size of a blimp and it's just impossible to have a conversation with him unless you agree with every single word he says.

I don't think that at all. I was responding to a post that claimed RMS should use his fame to attract women. I doubt that will work for a number of obvious reasons.

I've seen him bite his toenails in front of a large audience.

I'm sure he's fun at the dinner table.

I'm not trying to be mean, but he came and talked at my school and he looks as unkempt in person as he does in pictures.

I really think if he took better care of himself he would be able to find an interested girl.

Oh, there's a woman out there for him somewhere.

There's always at least one. One will fall for the Stallman charms, unkempt and all.

Thanks RMS, for all that you've done, and keep the fight going.

That personal has actually been posted on his website:

http://stallman.org/extra/personal.html

With the addition of:

(Currently for amusement only.)

This point of view is miserably broken. Yes, planet is overpopulated, in Asia & Africa. On the contrary, by having kids in a highly developed country and by giving them education one is doing a favor to this planet & its culture.

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