Anyone Child Free By Choice?

becky_rtw

ninky wrote: »

i didn't say it was impossible. merely that it was a form of misanthropy.

it's not a moral judgement. merely an observation.

some people don't like women either.

Of course its a moral judgement considering the negative connotations that misanthropy has - especially if you've read any Aristotle!

I dont hate people, I just dont like children, there's a HUGE difference to me - perhaps the two are the same in your mind?

SandC

ninky wrote: »

i'd say not liking children per se is a form of misanthropy.

not liking children is very different to not wanting children. it is possible to not want children but not dislike them. children, like adults, are all individuals. therefore i don't see how it is possible to not like all of them unless you are a misanthrope of some sort.

I agree, I am CFBC but I don't hate kids. And anyway, many of my friends are as disinterested in other people's kids as I am, whilst loving to bits their own.

Person_one

Its possible to not like something but also to not hate it.

I don't hate snakes, I have no feelings of malice towards them and wish them no ill will. I don't like snakes, I don't want them to be around them if I can possibly help it.

Same is true of children with me.

And you can't really compare to not liking women. Children are fundamentally different to adults, they aren't finished yet!

ninky_2

Person_one wrote: »

And you can't really compare to not liking women. Children are fundamentally different to adults, they aren't finished yet!

when is a human 'finished' exactly? a child is merely a human at a particular life stage. no life stage is any more finished than another.

is it possible to like dogs but not puppies? i'd say not really. puppies are dogs. just as children are humans.

Person_one

ninky wrote: »

when is a human 'finished' exactly? a child is merely a human at a particular life stage. no life stage is any more finished than another.

is it possible to like dogs but not puppies? i'd say not really. puppies are dogs. just as children are humans.

Obviously there's no fixed moment in time when a human is 'finished', but I generally find that I don't enjoy the company of people below around age 18 or 19. There are people younger than this I can tolerate but the numbers reduce the lower the age and by the time you get to newborn baby I've lost all interest completely.

I like kittens but not cats. Is that allowed?

BubblyMumbles

ninky wrote: »

when is a human 'finished' exactly? a child is merely a human at a particular life stage. no life stage is any more finished than another.

is it possible to like dogs but not puppies? i'd say not really. puppies are dogs. just as children are humans.

It's definitely possible to like dogs but not puppies, I don't understand why it wouldn't be?

I like bread but not toast, is that okay, I mean toast is after all bread?

I seriously do not understand your reasoning here. :undecided

ariarnia

Person_one wrote: »

I like kittens but not cats. Is that allowed?

I like kittens, and cats that act like kittens and then realise what they're doing and become really serious, so yes, I will allow it.

Treacly

I don't like young kids. I really don't. I don't like looking at them, talking about them and especially not talking TO them (what do you say? they've got no conversation!) I do like teenagers (used to be a secondary school teacher), but anything below the age of about 10, count me out. A baby literally makes me cringe - I couldn't hold one. Call me a misanthrope - call me what you like - just don't expect me to have anything whatsoever to do with kids.

geekgirl

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

For me, it is because of the lack of respect for a significant portion of society. To say one does not like children is saying 'I don't like what we all used to be', which for starters I think is somewhat odd and a little worrying from a life perspective.

I am someone who is not that keen on children, I have 3 of my own and think they are fantastic, but I am totally aware that there is no reason whatsoever that anyone else would think so.
I am not interested in other peoples kids, I don't apologise for that. I am not worried about my attitude.

ninky_2

Treacly wrote: »

I don't like young kids. I really don't. I don't like looking at them, talking about them and especially not talking TO them (what do you say? they've got no conversation!) I do like teenagers (used to be a secondary school teacher), but anything below the age of about 10, count me out. A baby literally makes me cringe - I couldn't hold one. Call me a misanthrope - call me what you like - just don't expect me to have anything whatsoever to do with kids.

do you think this is some sort of phobic reaction? i mean that seriously. it's one thing to not seek out the company of babies. it's another thing to say they make you cringe. there is no rational explanation for it.

as for those who say they only like people once they reach legal adulthood, isn't that rather closed-minded? legal adulthood is such a culturally imposed phenomena. some people are able to have more philosophically rounded conversation at 12 than others are able to have at 40.