--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Creating new people, by having babies, is…" description: "\"Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification. Indeed, most people d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/david-benatar-19400_baby_creating-new-people-by-having-babies-is_216834.jpg" --- # Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part… ![“Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification. Indeed, most people do not even think about whether they should or should not make a baby. They just make one. In other words, procreation is usually the consequence of…” quote by David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/david-benatar-19400_baby_creating-new-people-by-having-babies-is_216834.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/david-benatar-19400_baby_creating-new-people-by-having-babies-is_216834.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/david-benatar-19400_baby_creating-new-people-by-having-babies-is_216834.jpg) > “Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification. Indeed, most people do not even think about whether they should or should not make a baby. They just make one. In other words, procreation is usually the consequence of sex rather than the result of a decision to bring people into existence. Those who do indeed decide to have a child might do so for any number of reasons, but among these reasons cannot be the interests of the potential child. One can never have a child for that child’s sake.” [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Procreation is treated as an automatic outcome of sex, not a deliberate moral choice, and cannot be justified by the child's interests. **In simple terms:** Having children is often unexamined and not for the child's benefit. Key Takeaway Question the assumptions behind having children. Themes ethics procreation existentialism Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - family planning - ethical debates - personal decisions - societal norms Key Concepts moral philosophy value of life Questions to Reflect On - Do you consider the child's welfare when deciding to have a baby? - How does society influence procreation decisions? A Different Perspective Children cannot be justified solely for their own sake. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Having a baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-a-baby/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Justification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justification/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Procreation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procreation/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Media mystifications should not obfuscate a simple, perceivable fact; Black teenage girls do not create poverty by having babies. Quite the contrary, they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/media-mystifications-should-not-obfuscate-a-simple-perceivable-fact/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [A couple of my friends started having babies, and I thought, 'Maybe one day, with the right guy.' 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When I do pictures, I go all out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-o-sullivan/i-seem-to-have-a-one-track-mind-when-i-was-having-babies-i-did/) [Maureen O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-o-sullivan/) > [I remember in my late 20s, early 30s, when people would start getting engaged and having babies and you go, 'but what does that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-coughlan/i-remember-in-my-late-20s-early-30s-when-people-would-start-getting/) [Nicola Coughlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-coughlan/) > [I do think about having babies a lot, actually. I think I look forward to that more than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rodriguez/i-do-think-about-having-babies-a-lot-actually-i-think-i-look-forward/) [Adam Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rodriguez/) > [“The very people the Chinese government would like to see having babies are highly educated urban women, who would be able to produce children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leta-hong-fincher/the-very-people-the-chinese-government-would-like-to-see-having/) Leta Hong Fincher > [The best part of having two babies at once, a son and a daughter, is mostly everything. You're just having that feeling of love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/the-best-part-of-having-two-babies-at-once-a-son-and-a-daughter-is/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [“All my friends are getting married and having babies. I'm just getting more awesome”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayser-u/all-my-friends-are-getting-married-and-having-babies-i-m-just-getting/) kayser U > [Most countries are static, and they need to do is keep having babies. But America's like this big old clanking smoking machine that just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/most-countries-are-static-and-they-need-to-do-is-keep-having-babies/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“In those days my mother was given to the exasperating and mysterious habit of having babies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-those-days-my-mother-was-given-to-the-exasperating-and-mysterious/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) ## More by David Benatar > [“There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but there’s no such thing as chronic pleasure. ... For an existing person, the presence of bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-s-such-a-thing-as-chronic-pain-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“There is one kind of exception: those who believe that the world is too horrible a place into which to bring children. Such people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-is-one-kind-of-exception-those-who-believe-that-the-world-is/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“For instance, since none of us lives until age 240, people tend not to think that failing to reach that age makes one’s life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/for-instance-since-none-of-us-lives-until-age-240-people-tend-not-to/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [On my view there is no net benefit to coming into existence and thus coming into existence is never worth its costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/on-my-view-there-is-no-net-benefit-to-coming-into-existence-and-thus/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [Coming into existence is always bad for those who come into existence. In other words, although we may not be able to say of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/coming-into-existence-is-always-bad-for-those-who-come-into-existence/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“There is a further (non-distributional) consideration that can affect an assessment of a life’s quality. Arguably, once a life reaches a certain threshold of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/there-is-a-further-non-distributional-consideration-that-can-affect/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [I am under no illusions. My position, no matter how clearly stated, is likely to be misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/i-am-under-no-illusions-my-position-no-matter-how-clearly-stated-is/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Life's big questions are big in the sense that they are momentuous. However, contrary to appearances, they are not big in the sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/life-s-big-questions-are-big-in-the-sense-that-they-are-momentuous/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Bringing people into existence as well as failing to bring people into existence can be regretted. However, only bringing people into existence can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/bringing-people-into-existence-as-well-as-failing-to-bring-people/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Now it might be suggested that cloning is sometimes worse because, where it is done for the sake of the person cloned, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/now-it-might-be-suggested-that-cloning-is-sometimes-worse-because/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Those who do indeed decide to have a child might do so for any number of reasons, but among these reasons cannot be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/those-who-do-indeed-decide-to-have-a-child-might-do-so-for-any-number/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Parents with dependents are somehow thought to count for more. If, for example, there is some scarce resource—a donor kidney perhaps—and of the two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/parents-with-dependents-are-somehow-thought-to-count-for-more-if-for/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Finally, the optimist’s impatience with or condemnation of pessimism often has a smug macho tone to it (although males have no monopoly of it).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/finally-the-optimist-s-impatience-with-or-condemnation-of-pessimism/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“I shall not assess arguments and evidence for competing views about when human extinction will occur. We know it will occur, and this fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/i-shall-not-assess-arguments-and-evidence-for-competing-views-about/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Never to have been born is best But if we must see the light, the next best Is quickly returning whence we came. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/never-to-have-been-born-is-best-but-if-we-must-see-the-light-the-next/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) [Explore all 32 David Benatar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) ## More Baby quotes > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [“I looked down into my baby’s beautiful green eyes and ached inside. She looked up at me with wide-eyed innocence. I kissed her warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-looked-down-into-my-baby-s-beautiful-green-eyes-and-ached-inside/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [I've retired my sneakers for stilettos, baby!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivica-a-fox/i-ve-retired-my-sneakers-for-stilettos-baby/) [Vivica A. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivica-a-fox/) > [I didn't expect to be so comfortable handing my child off to a nanny without getting any of her information. As soon as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/i-didn-t-expect-to-be-so-comfortable-handing-my-child-off-to-a-nanny/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [And I gave you my all, now baby be mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashanti/and-i-gave-you-my-all-now-baby-be-mine/) [Ashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashanti/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [Shhh.” He put a finger to her lips. “Hear me out. 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