Would You Rather not be Born?

It’s easy for me to bang on about the universe being a benevolent place as I’ve done in previous articles. That you and me are the point of the universe. That you create your own world. That you should be in awe and gratitude that you get to play on this planet, be it for 80 days or 80 years.

It’s easy for me to sprout forth because at 52 I haven’t really had it hard. Yeah, I’ve had the odd bit of abuse from my parents (ok, a lot). But, what did parents really know in the 1960/70s about child rearing? If you were lucky, you got a good hiding with a belt or if you were unlucky, you got a fist in the face. Either way, it seemed to sort things out sharpish. I saw the odd bit of alcoholism (ok, a lot) running through our lives leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. I’ve had two car accidents, one serious and one embarrassing. I’ve had a car radio stolen. I think I was in one serious fist-fight in my life. Since then, I’ve never been hit in the face again because when I’m running away they always hit me at the back of the head. Both my parents and stepfather have written their final exam. Who knows how they did? I’ve had my heart broken once, figuratively. And once literally – I’ve had Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart caused by a virus … It feels like a naff heart attack).

So, I didn’t, and don’t, have it hard. Not like some people. Those who are terminal. Who’ve lost loved ones. Those who’ve been raped, degraded and made to be less. Those who’ve been murdered. Hijacked. Kidnapped. Abused. Handicapped. Exterminated. And the many other perversions that are unimaginable to most of us.

Ask these people if they think the world is a benevolent place and if it has their best interests at heart? They’ll probably laugh in your face that you would have the temerity to ask such a stupid question.

This is the question I’d ask these people and those still to be born: If you knew that you were going to be born into a world of hurt, would you still come into this world or would you rather have no consciousness?

My take on it is that I would still rather be born. Be conscious. Because I know that in every sea of suffering there are islands of happiness. Let’s tease this out. Would you rather not have had a child that passed before you … Was there not joy and love before the event? Would you rather not be born or would you rather be handicapped knowing that there are 1000 things you’ll never be able to do (but another 10 000 things you could still do)? Could you survive a rape and still find joy or would you rather not be born?

I think the stoic, Seneca puts it eloquently: I ask you, would you not say one was the greatest of fools who believed that a lamp was worse off when it was extinguished than before it was lighted?