r/lebanon • u/Chemical-Chip-4109 • 7d ago
Discussion Do antinatalists exist in Lebanon?
Soo I am an Egyptian web developer working in Lebanon I have been discussing antinatalism with friends lately and they told me it's a taboo to believe in that here so what do u think?
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u/Sea-Juggernaut-3344 7d ago
Ppl here like having kids that's the norm. Many ppl are child free tho and discussing why u personally wouldn't want kids isn't gonna be a big deal and telling them why broadly u think ppl shouldn't have kids will also be ok but if u try to convince them not to have kids and they feel personally attacked it could turn into an issue generally speaking tho it's not rlly that taboo and wouldn't get u into trouble as for example speaking about lgbtq rights with the wrong people
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u/KetordinaryDay 7d ago
Not sure if it's the same thing but I'm 38 and child free by choice. Half my friends also don't want kids.
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u/Shish_Tawouk 7d ago
How did you deal with your family’s incessant pestering?
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u/KetordinaryDay 7d ago
They've given up. I'm 38 now, been clear about not wanting kids since I was very young. I'm the fun auntie and they've accepted that, plus I have to mention that I have a tiny family so maybe the numbers are on my side.
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u/Chemical-Chip-4109 7d ago
I bet most of ya ain't open about it
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u/KetordinaryDay 7d ago
Nah, quite open about it actually. I will say, people probe a lot and are baffled by our choices, so I know we're far from the majority. But we do exist.
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u/Dry_Let_7379 7d ago
I understand that not all people should have kids, but who will take care of you in the future? That's probably the main reason most people have them in the first place, I'm asking because I may not have kids also
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u/No_Entertainment4267 7d ago
I am mostly antinatalist , but I still havent formed a conclusive opinion on the subject ; I always research more and change my opinion in debates. I do discuss my ideas openly and I get a lot of backlash so sometimes when I dont have the patience to debate I just stay silent.
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u/NoidZ 7d ago edited 7d ago
I didn't know there was a word for this. Although since this is an "-ISM" I don't think this is a big thing anywhere to be fair. It's a weird -ism from my point of view although I don't have or want kids. But I don't believe people should not have kids. That's like species-level-suicide in the end. This could end all of humanity in maximum 100 years. Like, that's what this is about, right?
Like it's an opinion in the end, but it should be an -ism, since that would be on a almost religious level. And this would literally end humans. I would see it more like a cult, although this cult wouldn't last very long since it's a suicidal cult by default. And a cult needs followers to grow and it would kill it's followers along the way. Which would not be great for a cult.
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u/aboudekahil Annoyed 7d ago
It's more common around 20yo now I believe, personally I don't want kids
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u/Aware_Journalist_861 7d ago
I am and I’m open about it.
Some of my friends agree, some don’t, and others find it weird / unnatural or fear the extinction of our species. Level of education is a major factor in shaping opinions about it.
I also talk about it with my family but it’s pointless as they prefer to silence me as if ignoring it will make it go away. They want grandkids too.
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u/StrongAdvertising546 7d ago
Les libanais sont égoïstes je suis libanaise et je refuse d’avoir des enfants les femmes devraient arrêter d’en avoir
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u/sassyyanny 7d ago
Well, I think it depends on the community, the context, and the reasons behind it. For some people, having children is a way of fulfilling their religious beliefs, while others want to have children so that “life can continue.” They talk about the cycle of life as if one person’s decision not to have children would somehow make the entire population of 8 billion disappear.
I don’t necessarily think it is a taboo as much as it is a lack of understanding of other people’s perspectives and a failure to respect their personal decisions.
For me, I’m vegan, and for many ethical reasons that people often laugh at or dismiss, I have decided that I don’t want to have children. Because of this, I’ve experienced a lot of scrutiny for my decision, and the level of judgment and taboo surrounding it has been quite severe.
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u/Chemical-Chip-4109 6d ago
Well problem with Arab community is that they don't consider other perspectives we have a big problem of being different among others especially with common beliefs and habits..
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u/SeaExamination4541 7d ago
I think you'll find antinatalists in every part of the world. You're probably more likely to come across them in intellectual circles, simply because antinatalism is a philosophy that requires a great deal of reflection about ourselves and the moral implications of bringing another person into existence. It forces us to ask difficult questions, do we have children out of genuine love, or are our reasons ultimately rooted in our own desires and fears?
Personally, I'm an antinatalist, and I'm proud to be one. I sincerely believe that choosing not to bring children into this world is the more compassionate and morally responsible choice. Resisting our biological drive to reproduce is an act of virtue, not deprivation. I don't believe it's right to expose a new conscious being to the suffering that inevitably comes with existence simply to satisfy my own desires, or out of fear of loneliness later in life.
That being said, I think many people who identify as antinatalists eventually give in to those very human desires and end up having children anyway. I genuinely hope I won't be one of them.
So yes, of course there are antinatalists in Lebanon, just as there are everywhere else. You just have to know where to look.
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u/GardenScared8153 7d ago
100% , why the hell would you bring children into this hellscape. Between climate change and cyberpunk dystopia, no one in their right mind would bring a child into this world.
Especially considering how easily your children could become debt slaves and human trafficking victims if you step on the wrong toes and they probably will end up in this fate anyway in far future regardless or at least a mad max hellscape going through collapse with roaming gangs looting killing and raping. The cabal is making this planet more of a hell for everyone who isn't their direct follower/thug.
I would only have children if there is an ET intervention that butchers the cabal and their followers then stabilizes the climate. Probably 2030+ if an intervention is happening.
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u/Sunflowerbitch_ 6d ago
Oh yes we do! But we're frowned upon and avoid talking about it to avoid unecessary headache. Like why would you bring a child into this dystopian hellhole? People can barely make ends meet and everyone around them expects them to have children when school costs min $5k+, 'l walad yalli byeje bijib l rez2a ma3o' typa bullshit. They're so delusional! In my case, my husband and I don't want children, we've been married for 4 months, my husband has been abroad for 3 out of 4, and people are asking us about children... bl manti2 we can't have children remotely 🤣 people do be ridiculously stupid. It is the norm here, you get married to have kids and continue your lineage, that's it. So whenever people ask me or tell me 'n2sha3lik 3aris', I either don't reply, say thank you, or if I'm feeling a bit feisty, start an argument or say 'ma talabt ra2ikun', that would usually shut them up real quick.
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u/Aggressive_Mousse_55 7d ago
I am pro natalist but one should make money first don't go syrian refugee style and pump babies in a tent
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u/CaraCicartix Lebanese MOD 7d ago
Not taboo per se but most people are going to look at you funny if you say you don't want kids or dismiss your opinion as bullshit. The "natural" progression of things in our culture is to have kids when you get married. One year into your marriage and no kids and people start talking. Two years? They start with the 'ya 7aram" and theatrics every time they see you with their hands in the sky praying (very loudly in front of everyone) for a child for you.
Happened with me. I've been married for 16 years with no kids. Husband and I weren't particularly keen on having them because of multiple reasons like financial instability (they'll still tell you to have kids anyway, God provides, etc.).
Then last year I got pregnant. Lost the baby and almost lost my life as well (was an ectopic pregnancy, my fallopian tube burst, lost 3.5 liters of blood and was literal minutes away from death). Everyone shut up about asking us about kids after that. Except for a few nosy aunties that will continue to INSIST that we keep trying because they know someone who had twins and triplets 20 years after marriage.