--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is unlikely that many people will take…" description: "\"It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the conclusion that coming into existence is always a harm. It is even less likely that many people ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98f/david-benatar-19400_accounts_it-is-unlikely-that-many-people-will-tak_3149415.jpg" --- # It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the… ![“It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the conclusion that coming into existence is always a harm. It is even less likely that many people will stop having children. By contrast, it is quite likely that my views either will be ignored or will be dismissed. As this response will account…” quote by David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98f/david-benatar-19400_accounts_it-is-unlikely-that-many-people-will-tak_3149415.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98f/david-benatar-19400_accounts_it-is-unlikely-that-many-people-will-tak_3149415.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98f/david-benatar-19400_accounts_it-is-unlikely-that-many-people-will-tak_3149415.jpg) > “It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the conclusion that coming into existence is always a harm. It is even less likely that many people will stop having children. By contrast, it is quite likely that my views either will be ignored or will be dismissed. As this response will account for a great deal of suffering between now and the demise of humanity, it cannot plausibly be thought of as philanthropic. That is not to say that it is motivated by any malice towards humans, but it does result from a self-deceptive indifference to the harm of coming into existence.” [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. The author argues that existence is inherently harmful, making anti‑procreation arguments morally complex and often dismissed. **In simple terms:** Existence is harmful; anti‑procreation is controversial. Key Takeaway Consider the ethical weight of bringing new life. Themes ethics existentialism procreation Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - family planning - policy debates - bioethics discussions Key Concepts antinatalism philosophical pessimism Questions to Reflect On - Is it possible to balance suffering with potential happiness? - How should societies address antinatalist views? A Different Perspective May underestimate potential joys of life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Coming Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-existence-882999/) [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) [Contrast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrast/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Deceptive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceptive/) [Demise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demise/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Existence Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-harm-4331201/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Having children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-children/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignored/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Indifference Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference-harm-5647797/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Malice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malice/) [Motivated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivated/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philanthropic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philanthropic/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Thought Philanthropic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-philanthropic-5647796/) [Unlikely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unlikely/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) ## Related quotes > [Each one of us was harmed by being brought into existence. That harm is not negligible, because the quality of even the best lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benatar/each-one-of-us-was-harmed-by-being-brought-into-existence-that-harm/) [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. 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Then, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-klein/i-remain-detached-and-distant-but-it-is-under-my-eyes-and-my-orders/) [Yves Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-klein/) > [There is a natural link between the effective running of my businesses and the effective direction of philanthropic funds. I apply business principles to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/there-is-a-natural-link-between-the-effective-running-of-my/) [Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/) > [Generosity is the flower of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/generosity-is-the-flower-of-justice/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [No matter how well-born, how intelligent, how highly educated, how virtuous, how rich, how refined, the women of to-day constitutea political class below that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-corinna-putnam-jacobi/no-matter-how-well-born-how-intelligent-how-highly-educated-how/) [Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-corinna-putnam-jacobi/) > [If I get the chance to be philanthropic, I want to help kids and teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-l-martin/if-i-get-the-chance-to-be-philanthropic-i-want-to-help-kids-and/) [Jesse L. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-l-martin/) > [ The fundamental principle \[of settlement work\] remains: that people shall take up their residence in industrial communities, giving what they may have of public… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-wald/the-fundamental-principle-of-settlement-work-remains-that-people/) [Lillian Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-wald/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) ## More by David Benatar > [“There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but there’s no such thing as chronic pleasure. ... 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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. 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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. 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It is even less likely that many people will stop having children. By contrast, it is quite likely that my views either will be ignored or will be dismissed. As this response will account for a great deal of suffering between now and the demise of humanity, it cannot plausibly be thought of as philanthropic. 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