I'm not a father, so I can't really disagree w/ M. Gilbert, but I do hate when people make arguments against people having children, no matter how subtle they might be.
"...shooting heroin doesn’t actually make people feel miserable. It makes them feel really, really good—so good, in fact, that it crowds out every other source of pleasure. Family, friends, work, play, food, sex—none can compete with the narcotic experience; hence all fall by the wayside. The analogy to children is all too clear. Even if their company were an unremitting pleasure, the fact that they require so much company means that other sources of pleasure will all but disappear."
It's a good point, if your values for happiness are tied to pleasure. If, instead your values for happiness are tied to accomplishing goals, and having a positive affect on your surroundings, your world, then children are the closest you can get to ensuring such successes.
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