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Comment by trevyn | Hacker News Reader

>I had an accident that led to second degree burns on my thighs

>a friend was diagnosed with cancer

A small rationalist plea — if you’re considering having offspring, biological or digital, please seriously consider the ethical implications of intentionally creating consciousnesses that can and will experience these kinds of suffering.

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Ok, so I get that if perhaps you have a genetic condition you should consider how passing that on to a child. But reconsidering because an accident, minor or significant, could befall your child?!.

You could make a rational and logical decision to have children and then get hit by a bus the day after they are born.

Of course, such consideration is itself immoral since it would logically lead to morality dying out leading to even greater suffering in the long term.

The greatest trait of life is the ability to adapt and survive. What would be the point of procreating in a passive Edenian world?

You’re being downvoted, but as a father I wholeheartedly agree with you.

My daughter is the most precious being in my life, but I can’t shake the feeling that I brought her to this world on purely selfish reasons and now she’ll be faced to suffer in this ever convoluted planet and I won’t be there to help her for most of her life.

I might be wrong, but please consider this before you bring a life to this world.

If you honestly feel that way, consider therapy. I don’t mean that in a mean way. I needed therapy too, and it helped a lot. That just doesn’t seem like a healthy outlook on life, and it will affect your and your daughter’s life more than you can know. If you have any questions, my email is in my bio.

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