Stop Having Kids Is Miserable, Depressed, & Nihilistic People Refuted

Acknowledging the unfathomable amount of suffering, injustice, and inequality that we are surrounded by can surely make someone miserable, depressed, or nihilistic. But recognizing the world we live in for what it is does not mean that we are innately miserable people, nor does it mean  that our message is rooted in those feelings. 

SHK is a love-based, antinatalist movement encouraging those around us to prioritize already existing life rather than imposing existence onto others. People who feel threatened by our outreach would rather attack the messenger than listen to the message, so we have been labeled as depressed or miserable or nihilistic, as if our assumed temperaments discredit what we are trying to communicate to the world. 

It doesn’t make sense to single out SHK as being miserable, since every human has experienced misery at one or more points in their life. SHK acknowledges that we shouldn’t impose the guarantee of misery onto potential others who are better off never being born.

A significant percentage of the global population, including children, suffers from depression and a staggering amount of teenagers have admitted to seriously considering ending their lives. As a society, we should work on eliminating the stigma around depression and not use this very real affliction as a means of discrediting someone or their opinions. Did you know that the US is considered one of the most depressed nations in the world? Mental health issues, which are very common, should be something to consider when thinking about bringing another person into existence.

At SHK we don’t promote the idea that existence is pointless or useless, we don’t deny objective or moral truths, and we don’t want to destroy human society. You do not have to hold a nihilistic belief to understand that the root catalyst to all suffering and injustice is procreation and birth. You can have a fulfilling, meaningful and overall decent life, while simultaneously understanding that no one is being deprived of anything by not coming into existence. Once someone is brought into existence, they can and should do something meaningful with their life, something that fulfills them, and everyone should be able to choose their own life path.

There may be SHK volunteers or organizers who are afflicted with depression, experiencing misery, or have a nihilistic outlook, and that is okay. We understand that humans are individuals, and we will never shame anyone for their feelings about their own existence or existence in general.