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Comment by dromidas | Hacker News Reader

Wow just read the answer from the guy on there:

"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.

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"...move to the midwest and shack up with some girl out of highschool desperate to get kids."

This is more accurate than I care to admit.

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".

The best part is at the end, when you realize he doesn't even have any kids yet!

Yes, he sounds like a sanctimonious cunt and he hasn't even gotten started.

I understand your point, but I read it to be that he was speaking about his own life, not anyone else's.

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.

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