There is something that goes off the rails, when you dont have at least one kid.

Look at people who do not have one in there elder years. Look at them driving around dogs in buggys, dressing them up like replacement toddlers, look at those faces, tell me that they are truely happy.

In the coldwar days, there where a lot of people who argued in a similar line- club of rome, end of days, and so they went and got a vasectomy. Which you can not easily reverse.

Result: Lots of sad faces, late stage in life. Sometimes logic doesent cut it, and this is one of those moments - dont break the chain of life, daughter/son - is one of this moments.

I dont encourage you to have many kids- one or two should do. But yes, having a navel, that links all the way to the first mamal, and see that history continue, something of one beeing immortal, learning to walk and talk - that is awesome.

the way our society is structured, we need to have kids so someone will be around to do the work when we retire. this practical reality tends to short circuit those debates pretty quickly. it also raises a lot of uncomfortable questions like "I already have a kid, was that cruel?" or "if it's immoral to bring a life into the world, does that imply my own life isn't worth living?". people are quite adept at avoiding uncomfortable thoughts.

Morally, wouldn't it be better for the world if productive and intellectually curious families birthed and raised more kids, not less?

I thought psychologoy was by know a persona-non-grata to any discussion? Psychology has a huge replication crisis, the whole quack science is heavily subverted by politics in its institutions- meaning they are under suspicion of pushing any study that runs against a "traditional" family value outcome? Even if that outcome, could also be had by a non-traditional family?

I read a paper recently that suggested they are a net positive if you are wealthy enough. If you are struggling financially then not so much.

I certainly would have preferred to have parents who were older and more mature than the ones I did have. And when I think of my peers who had older parents I think they benefited.