I just didn't want them.
I've never felt the biological drive to reproduce. The drive to have sex, absolutely. Definitely a decent libido going on. But to raise children? Nah. Too much time, money, and stress.
My vasectomy will be the best $800 I ever spent.
Some people take great offense to the insinuation that children are a burden.
> but the simpler truth is that I never saw anything on the "pro" side of the ledger.
They'll usually say something about intrinsic rewards or something to that effect. Occasionally, they'll demand we applaud them for their sacrifice for creating the next generation, but that's just silly. We don't need more people. We already talk about how there's not enough housing supply, and nobody wants to create more because keeping the supply constrained is more profitable.
But more importantly, what if I went with their proposition and decided to have a child because "It's so rewarding", and then it turns out, I'm more dead inside than I ever realized and I don't feel it at all? I end up with a child I didn't want that I'm now having to take care of for 20+ years.
It's a taboo topic that people feel VERY strongly about, but regretful parents exist. 7% of parents over 45 years old in the USA said that if they could do life again, they'd skip having children [0]. Granted, this 7% likely includes parents that didn't want kids to begin with.
[0] https://news.gallup.com/poll/164618/desire-%20children-norm....