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posted by mrpg on Friday November 16 2018, @02:15AM   Printer-friendly
from the not-so-many-men-are-having-children-either dept.

'Remarkable' decline in fertility rates

There has been a remarkable global decline in the number of children women are having, say researchers.

Their report found fertility rate falls meant nearly half of countries were now facing a "baby bust" - meaning there are insufficient children to maintain their population size.

The researchers said the findings were a "huge surprise".

And there would be profound consequences for societies with "more grandparents than grandchildren".


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 16 2018, @02:40PM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 16 2018, @02:40PM (#762698)

    In general it means being able to take pride in yourself in your ability to protect and provide for those who need you.

    And who bestowed this "duty" upon men? What happens if you do not fulfill it, or even desire to?

  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 16 2018, @05:13PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 16 2018, @05:13PM (#762743)

    And who bestowed this "duty" upon men?

    Does it have to be a "who" at all? If so, then God. For the rest of us, evolution did that. The feeling of duty is in our DNA. For the past million years or so, men without this sense of duty were less likely to leave surviving offspring. These men would be less often chosen by women, and their children were more likely to die of conflict and starvation.

    What happens if you do not fulfill it, or even desire to?

    Well, you are broken. Lots of people have mal-adapted DNA, so you aren't alone. Some people have bad joints. Some people are dumb. Some people are more cancer-prone. Some people hallucinate. Some people have kidneys that don't last. Some people get seizures. Some people go blind. Some people... do not feel a duty to protect and provide, or even to have sex. Being broken is common. Evolution quickly eliminates the worst, and slowly eliminates the minor problems, while new defects randomly appear. Most of us are thus slightly broken, and a few of us are severely broken.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 17 2018, @12:15PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 17 2018, @12:15PM (#763061)

      Stop upmodding this pseudoscientific junk.

      For the rest of us, evolution did that.

      Evolution is not an entity, as you said yourself. It does not bestow duties upon people. It is a phenomenon. Using the word "duty" here is nonsensical.

      The feeling of duty is in our DNA.

      Having a "feeling of duty" isn't the same as actually having a duty.

      Well, you are broken.

      Who decided that and why are they correct? And don't say "evolution," because that leads you to the exact same problem described above.

      Some people have bad joints. Some people are dumb. Some people are more cancer-prone. Some people hallucinate. Some people have kidneys that don't last. Some people get seizures. Some people go blind. Some people... do not feel a duty to protect and provide, or even to have sex. Being broken is common.

      Why do you get to decide what qualifies as "broken"? That is highly subjective. I would say that being childfree is not like any of those things, and is a lifestyle choice that is almost always immensely beneficial to the individual.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by fritsd on Friday November 16 2018, @05:25PM

    by fritsd (4586) on Friday November 16 2018, @05:25PM (#762749) Journal

    What happens if you do not fulfill it, or even desire to?

    I think you'd be a LOT happier :-)

    Unfortunately I don't know what a man has to do to change that moral viewpoint.
    Maybe it's a bit lame, but I have no better ideas than to tell to the OP, try start from this and see if it helps:

    1. You are a person (that's a much more neutral term than "man". "man" comes with expectations that you may need to shed some of)
    2. You have the right to exist, and an intrinsic value (if you're religious you may pick up pope Francis' encyclical "laudato si" about this topic, however he states very oldfashionedly that you have to work)
    3. You can never do more than your best, but you've got to do your best (wisdom from my parents)
    4. Different cultures attach different values to those skills you mentioned "ability to protect" and "provide for those who need you", for men.
    5. If your (sub-)culture is toxic, try to leave it for a better one. There's plenty in the world.

  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 16 2018, @05:52PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 16 2018, @05:52PM (#762760)

    Then you get no nookie, your parents get no grandchildren, and somebody labels you a homo or an incel.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 17 2018, @12:09PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 17 2018, @12:09PM (#763059)

      Then you get no nookie

      Putting aside that some people are asexuals, this just isn't true. What about similarly childfree women/men? What about casual relationships?

      your parents get no grandchildren

      You don't owe them grandchildren. They can go adopt some children if they want some so badly. But no, they just want to pressure someone else into sacrificing their time, money, freedom, and health on having children while they just get to enjoy spending time with said children occasionally.

      and somebody labels you a homo or an incel.

      I don't know how they'd reach either conclusion, and I don't know why anyone would care.