(no subject)
Before Charles Darwin married his cousin and begot their ten children, three of which would die and break his heart, he documented the following internal debate:
"Not Marry: Freedom to go where one liked - choice of society and little of it. Conversation of clever men at clubs. Not forced to visit relatives and to bend in every trifle - to have the expense and anxiety of children - perhaps quarreling - loss of time... How should I manage all my business if I were obliged to go every day walking with my wife. Eheu! I never should know French, or see the Continent, or go to America, or go up in a balloon.
"Marry: Children, if it please God, constant companion and friend in old age who will feel interested in one. … My God, it is intolerable to think of spending one's whole life like a neuter bee, working, working and nothing after all. No, no, won't do. Imagine living all one's days solitarily in smoky, dirty London house. Only picture to yourself a nice, soft wife on a sofa with a good fire and books and music perhaps... Marry - Marry - Marry. Q.E.D."
My niece is asleep after a long day of exploration, dramatic readings, animal noises, adorable babbling, hide-and-seek games, crying whenever her father leaves the room, diaper rash, refusing to be spoon-fed, and various ill-timed bodily excretions. I am paging through books on childcare and drafting my own personal list of the pros and cons of reproducing. I expect to revisit and amend this list on more than one future occasion.
Darwin's note makes it sound as though all truly good-hearted people eventually find that the superficial temptations of the bachelor life pale in comparison to the joys of family -- but the grim 70% survival rate of his progeny makes the question that much harder.
"Not Marry: Freedom to go where one liked - choice of society and little of it. Conversation of clever men at clubs. Not forced to visit relatives and to bend in every trifle - to have the expense and anxiety of children - perhaps quarreling - loss of time... How should I manage all my business if I were obliged to go every day walking with my wife. Eheu! I never should know French, or see the Continent, or go to America, or go up in a balloon.
"Marry: Children, if it please God, constant companion and friend in old age who will feel interested in one. … My God, it is intolerable to think of spending one's whole life like a neuter bee, working, working and nothing after all. No, no, won't do. Imagine living all one's days solitarily in smoky, dirty London house. Only picture to yourself a nice, soft wife on a sofa with a good fire and books and music perhaps... Marry - Marry - Marry. Q.E.D."
My niece is asleep after a long day of exploration, dramatic readings, animal noises, adorable babbling, hide-and-seek games, crying whenever her father leaves the room, diaper rash, refusing to be spoon-fed, and various ill-timed bodily excretions. I am paging through books on childcare and drafting my own personal list of the pros and cons of reproducing. I expect to revisit and amend this list on more than one future occasion.
Darwin's note makes it sound as though all truly good-hearted people eventually find that the superficial temptations of the bachelor life pale in comparison to the joys of family -- but the grim 70% survival rate of his progeny makes the question that much harder.