--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Each one of us was harmed by being…" description: "\"Each one of us was harmed by being brought into existence. That harm is not negligible, because the quality of even the best lives is very bad—and cons..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/david-benatar-19400_existence_each-one-of-us-was-harmed-by-being-broug_2932684.jpg" --- # Each one of us was harmed by being brought into existence… ![“Each one of us was harmed by being brought into existence. That harm is not negligible, because the quality of even the best lives is very bad—and considerably worse than most people recognize it to be. Although it is obviously too late to prevent our own existence, it is not too late to prevent…” quote by David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/david-benatar-19400_existence_each-one-of-us-was-harmed-by-being-broug_2932684.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/david-benatar-19400_existence_each-one-of-us-was-harmed-by-being-broug_2932684.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/624/david-benatar-19400_existence_each-one-of-us-was-harmed-by-being-broug_2932684.jpg) > “Each one of us was harmed by being brought into existence. That harm is not negligible, because the quality of even the best lives is very bad—and considerably worse than most people recognize it to be. Although it is obviously too late to prevent our own existence, it is not too late to prevent the existence of future possible people.” [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. Existence brings unavoidable suffering; preventing future births reduces overall harm. **In simple terms:** Life causes suffering; avoid creating more life. Key Takeaway Consider the ethics of procreation. Themes ethics existentialism anti‑natalism Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - family planning - policy debates - personal reflection Key Concepts suffering value of life Questions to Reflect On - Is it moral to bring children into the world? - Can suffering be justified? A Different Perspective Suffering is subjective; some find meaning despite pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ## Related quotes > [It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the conclusion that coming into existence is always a harm. It is even less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/it-is-unlikely-that-many-people-will-take-to-heart-the-conclusion/) [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) > [“Given that bringing a life into existence always constitutes a harm (since that life will inevitably suffer at various points), whereas the absence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-graham/given-that-bringing-a-life-into-existence-always-constitutes-a-harm/) Jacob Graham > [Mortality is but a stepping-stone to a more glorious existence in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/mortality-is-but-a-stepping-stone-to-a-more-glorious-existence-in-the/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [If we don't start acknowledging our correct position as nothing more than a part of the planet as opposed to this perception that we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-reed/if-we-don-t-start-acknowledging-our-correct-position-as-nothing-more/) [Nikki Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-reed/) > [“He lived a quiet existence where the future was easy to predict and the past was a cancer in remission. It was meaningful, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelheid-manefeldt/he-lived-a-quiet-existence-where-the-future-was-easy-to-predict-and/) Adelheid Manefeldt > [If any man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has not done wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-any-man-has-done-wrong-the-harm-is-his-own-but-perhaps-he-has-not/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [I've never done anybody any harm in my entire life. No need to chase girls, I've thousands of them on Top Of The Pops,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-savile/i-ve-never-done-anybody-any-harm-in-my-entire-life-no-need-to-chase/) [Jimmy Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-savile/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [This welfare for wealthy companies wastes taxpayer dollars, harms the environment, and makes a mockery of the recent reductions in federal social spending programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/this-welfare-for-wealthy-companies-wastes-taxpayer-dollars-harms-the/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) ## 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/) > [Creating new people, by having babies, is so much a part of human life that it is rarely thought even to require a justification.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/creating-new-people-by-having-babies-is-so-much-a-part-of-human-life/) [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/) [Explore all 32 David Benatar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) ## More Existence quotes > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Browse all 7,646 Existence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Each one of us was harmed by being brought into existence. That harm is not negligible, because the quality of even the best lives is very bad—and considerably worse than most people recognize it to be. 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