Some people leverage their perceived personal joy as a justification for themselves, and others, to reproduce. However, the truth of existence is that each one of us will inevitably suffer in some way throughout our lives. No person is immune to this fate, and no matter the privileges or protections an individual may have, there is no way to safeguard from all potential devastation. Dissatisfaction is ubiquitous in our lives, even for those who try to be grateful for what they have. There can be moments, and even periods where one is satisfied, but dissatisfaction will always linger in the background. The constant striving for insatiable desires stays with us until we cease to exist. 

Around a million people end their lives each year, and millions more contemplate suicide. Some who desire to end their life are trapped by parenting or caretaking roles or feel guilt at the thought of hurting others by not being alive any longer. Many lack the mental or physical means to successfully execute suicide, and even if they do, there is often a risk of failure. Physician assistance exists for non-consensual birth, but not for a consensual death (except in limited cases); meaning there is no guarantee for a successful exit from this world, but there is a high risk for a botched attempted ending.

We must spend a significant portion of our waking lives coping with life situations we would prefer not to live with. When we are freed from lousy life situations, other lousy life situations often take their place. Even when we can satisfy our desires, the satisfaction is transient, and new desires seem to always quickly arise. Joy is typically experienced as small, irregular intervals in time, rather than a prolonged state of being that exists in perpetuity. In fact, many must scavenge their days for unremarkable moments they can be grateful for as a means of adding meaning, or any semblance of joy, to one’s day amidst the backdrop of anguish that is overwhelmingly apparent.

Even if a person’s child can experience joy in life, they can still tarnish and ruin the lives of others outside of that relationship. We routinely see examples of the ways those with privilege, comfort, lack of empathy, or power cause harm to those around them, often, without even realizing it. It is an unavoidable truth that even a life that feels personally fulfilling, or pleasant at times, will ultimately bring serious harm to others at some point.