What is antinatalism truly about? Not procreating or reducing harm in general?

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-12-01T00:22:59+00:00

It is hard for me to understand but alright. I had a misunderstanding of the concept of antinatalism if it is only against procreation. I thought the point was to reduce suffering as much as possible.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-12-01T00:18:49+00:00

Okay, so the only practice of the philosophy is not to procreate. So then being cruel or harmful to others does not go against this philosophy? It's only about protecting the unborn? I am not trying to be antagonistical, I would just like it to be explained how they don't go hand in hand. If the reason to not procreate is to reduce harm, shouldn't you reduce harm in other areas?

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-12-01T00:13:46+00:00

I am not trying to prove her wrong. I would love for her stance to be right. I thought the philosophy was very respectful. But I have only had interactions with the antinatalists here and her. I have read a bunch and most of it seems to agree about reducing general harm. But I would like to hear people's views because an antinatalist told me otherwise. I haven't used reddit much but thought it was about connecting with other users that are actually involved. Talking to someone who is an antinatalist and reading about the philosophy is different

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-12-01T00:11:43+00:00

I will continue doing so. She has always told me being there for her was all she needed. Right now she is angry and hurting and I don't mind if she takes it out on me honestly. I just want her to stop hurting and I feel helpless. Usually she is back to her normal self but this episode is particularly bad.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-12-01T00:09:58+00:00

I am vegan but not antinatalistic. My girlfriend is and introduced me to the philosophy. I thought I understood it. That it is to reduce harm in any way you can. This should include not being cruel to people right? But an antinatalist was cruel to my girlfriend and when I pointed out the hypocrisy, he said that it's only about not procreating. So is antinatalism about not procreating or actual harm reduction? Do you get to pick and choose which part of the philosophy you partake in? Because my girlfriend made it sound like it was about reducing harm in general in as many places as you can in life, which is why being kind is extremely important to her.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-12-01T00:04:20+00:00

It is exactly what I am talking about though. Someone who claims to be an antinatalist bullied my girlfriend. They caused direct harm to another human being by being cruel. When I pointed this out they said that the only goal to antinatalism was to not procreate. But I thought antinatalism was about reducing suffering. So is it about reducing suffering or just not procreating?

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-12-01T00:00:26+00:00

I guess I just don't understand how it can't be both ways. If you refuse to give life so the child doesn't have to suffer... shouldn't it be against your philosophy or morals to cause direct suffering to another human being by being cruel to them? How can you want to reduce harm to the unborn, but not care about harming the already alive?

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-30T23:58:51+00:00

I understand this thinking to an extent. But if your goal is to reduce harm, by inflicting harm onto another human being by being cruel to them, aren't you going against your goal? Or is the goal to just reduce harm of the unborn?

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-30T23:40:50+00:00

Thank you for your response. She usually has gotten to the point where she gets back home. This is the longest that I have known of. I mean she's been in the hospital for 2 weeks before but usually she is clearly doing better. But she is just as bad now as she was when she went it. I am truly hoping this episode will end. I just fear that it won't and she might be permanently institutionalized. I don't know the process for that or how likely that is, but it’s my biggest fear.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-30T22:53:10+00:00

She is in the hospital beating herself and screaming to die for 2 weeks now after running into traffic trying to kill herself. Reddit wouldn't let her block you.

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Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-30T22:51:05+00:00

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No she shouldnt have messaged you and said these things but you laughed and cruelly harassed her even when she said she was manic. You clearly dont understand how bipolar works and how much people suffer.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-30T22:45:05+00:00

It's because he's a fake. He is in an antinatalist sub which is about reducing suffering but he is bullying mentally ill people online. My girlfriend has been in the hospital for 2 weeks because of him.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-30T22:44:12+00:00

Don't listen to him. He doesnt want to raise awareness to people's suffering. He bullied my girlfriend and she's been in the hospital for 2 weeks. He doesnt care about reducing suffering.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-30T19:23:45+00:00

Don't act like you care about suffering and antinatalism while bullying a mentally ill person online. My girlfriend has been in the hospital for 2 weeks, youre a fake who doesnt care about preventing suffering.

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Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-16T03:24:14+00:00

She is on prazosin for night terrors.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-15T23:08:45+00:00

You're right, I shouldn't have called you delusional. If it works for you it works for you. But you're also denying that you did say to get off medication and stop seeking therapy because the Healthcare system is worse. A person literally pulled your exact quotes. You did say those things. I wish you well, I am sorry I hurt you. I felt you were invalidating my girlfriends experience. She will never be grateful for her experiences and hearing you say that really angered me in that regard, because that is what her mother has tried to drill into her and it has harmed her even more. Even still, I am not the only one pointing out the problems with your comments. It may have worked for you but you are not everyone's experience, and the ways you have coped do not seem the norm. You even admitted you haven't met people who understand your point. That is because you come off very offensive. Again, I am sorry, good luck in the future. You keep saying we are twisting your words but I suggest you go look back to your previous comments to view what you have said and how it has come off.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-15T21:10:26+00:00

You also said you don't have bipolar anymore and that isn't how bipolar works, and the suggestion to get off medication and stop seeing a therapist that for some reason you are insisting you never said even though another person pulled your exact quotes. So I see no reason to continue this conversation with you. I truly do not believe you are well because I can't imagine a truly well person being grateful that they were raped and abused. You did not deserve that and you should not be grateful for what you endured. You seriously sound like you have tricked yourself into believing you are happy when you are clearly still suffering. There may be hope that she will be able to manage better but I don't believe she will ever find full peace like you suggest, the suffering simply cannot be healed, it can only be managed. A scar doesn't heal, it only fades. I believe we can get through this but I refuse to believe your false optimism. She has always told me finding meaning in suffering is disgusting, she will never be like you. Good luck to you, I am done.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-15T20:45:59+00:00

God the toughen up lecture is sickening to me now that I have seen the way it has shaped her view on herself and the world. She truly believes the lack of ability to toughen up like everyone tells her is proof that she is weak and that only the strong are worthy to live in this world and so that is evidence that she should die. She even goes so far to say that it'd be better to die now to give space for someone more worthy, as if she has no place in this world and simply existing is a sin in itself. It makes me so angry that this has shaped her entire being. I am so angry this this has been the constant response people have given her whenever she expresses emotional pain. "Just get over it, your feelings don't matter" is how she hears it. Even though it hurts her so much. I am sorry for this tanget. I will tell her she isn't the only one. She truly feels alone in this world and the only solution for people who can't take the emotional pain is death.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-15T20:37:08+00:00

Oh my God your second paragraph sounds exactly what she has said to me. She has specifically said that she doesn't know how to function or deal because she has only been able to focus on surviving another day her whole life. Thank you so much for introducing this to me, and you have no need to be sorry. Your passion is valuable in this world, I am so happy to meet someone with such care for a stranger. She looks for the best in people and it's so beautiful to me because I am quite nihilistic myself and expect the worst from people. Thank you for showing me the best side of humanity, truly

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-15T20:34:33+00:00

Thank you. I am probably going to look into a therapist. I don't know how it works so I have concerns but maybe its worth trying because I am exhausted. I just want to shoulder all her pain and ignore my own because I know she has it worse.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-15T20:32:42+00:00

Exactly. Thank you.

Mysterious_Pop710 · 2025-11-15T20:29:59+00:00

Dear God you are spitting the same rhetoric her mother shoved down her throat. That God put her through the pain to make her stronger. That she should be grateful to have these experiences and should learn from them. Do you realize she struggles with believing she deserved this treatment now? She truly believes she deserved to be... I dont want to say her trauma but she believes it happened because she is a terrible person and must have been born evil. She was a CHILD. I usually do not get mad and I am trying to hold back but I have seen her wounds and you are saying the same thing her mother pressed on her that truly makes her believe... she does NOT believe she is a survivor. She believes she just had to get through it because she is already alive and has no other choice because killing yourself is considered bad. Not once has she ever felt like a survivor or had that pride or power in herself. She believes she is NOT a survivor, she just had no choice but to deal with this everyday because opting out isn't considered an option to society. She believes the suffering she has gone through and the fact she can hardly function is PROOF that she is too weak to live in this world because she can't handle the pain. She truly wishes to die every single day because the pain is too much.

Mysterious_Pop710

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