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.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that existence is inherently harmful, and while we cannot change our own birth, we can influence the future of potential lives.
David Benatar’s quote reflects a philosophical stance known as anti-natalism, arguing that being brought into existence causes harm and that even the best lives have significant suffering. He emphasizes that recognition of this harm is crucial and implies a moral responsibility to prevent the birth of future individuals to mitigate further suffering, thus highlighting the burdens of existence versus the absence of life.
In practice
In a philosophical discussion about the morality of bringing children into the world.
It is curious that while good people go to great lengths to spare their children from suffering, few of them seem to notice that the one (and only) guaranteed way to prevent all the suffering of their children is not to bring those children into existence in the first place.
. . . we should be men first, and subjects afterward.
The day shall not be up so soon as I, _x000D_ To try the fair adventure of tomorrow.
I have the feeling of this completely alternative person I should have become. There was another life that I might have had, but I’m having this one.
For who would dare to assert that eternal happiness can compensate for a single moment's human suffering
Mission [is] understood as being derived from the very nature of God. It [is] thus put in the context of the Trinity, not of ecclesiology or soteriology. The classical doctrine of the missio dei as God the Father sending the Son, and God the Father and the Son sending the Spirit [is] expanded to include yet another “movement”: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sending the church into the world.
There is no vice so simple but assumes some mark of virtue on his outward parts.
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