I really like how respectfully you commented this title :)
IMHO, someone who does not want kids is not necessarily selfish, and someone who does is not necessarily altruistic.
Yes, we all know that being a parent demands a lot of sacrifice. But if we think about how much respect and social acceptance this role is associated with, then the whole thing does not seem to be _that_ altruistic. Am I too arrogant?
Re: Is it really so altruistic to become a mother?
Yeah agreed, they're each valid choices and come with their own different challenges and levels of acceptance in society - I'm happy when someone decides after a lot of thinking about their situation that having children is something they wish to do, but dismissing that time as "being selfish" is not fair to those of us who did the thinking and came to the other decision!
Re: Is it really so altruistic to become a mother?
My impression is that this woman has always wanted kids, it just took some time for her to be ready for it. She did not say "I used to be against becoming a parent but I changed my mind."
Yeah. It might be unselfish to not have kids - f.ex. if someone has serious personal and mental problems, it would be not too responsible to have kids. Not being able to give the attention, care and material things that children need, BUT posing in the role of the Sacrificing Mother - would it be so altruistic?
Is it really so altruistic to become a mother?
IMHO, someone who does not want kids is not necessarily selfish, and someone who does is not necessarily altruistic.
Yes, we all know that being a parent demands a lot of sacrifice. But if we think about how much respect and social acceptance this role is associated with, then the whole thing does not seem to be _that_ altruistic. Am I too arrogant?
Re: Is it really so altruistic to become a mother?
Re: Is it really so altruistic to become a mother?
Yeah. It might be unselfish to not have kids - f.ex. if someone has serious personal and mental problems, it would be not too responsible to have kids. Not being able to give the attention, care and material things that children need, BUT posing in the role of the Sacrificing Mother - would it be so altruistic?