My experience is that people who say they are not having kids because they are worried about over population are retro fitting a reason. They want want a moral reason to back up what they chose in their life for more selfish reasons. Saying you don't want kids because you want to travel or want a more flexible life is harder to justify to your parents who picked to have you.
I think it's a lack of building blocks. You can't have kids without having sex, you can't have sex without having your first kiss, you can't have your first kiss without being able go on some sort of date.
So I’m agreeing with you that I think concern about overpopulation is not a huge factor. I don’t think it’s zero, and I think falls under a larger rubric of a sense of impending doom.
It seems to be true what they say about kids growing up very slowly and fearfully and virtually these days. Yes, driving a real car is scary compared to saving the world from zombies in a video game. 25-year-old Gen Z city boy at our rural house yesterday. Has licence but has barely driven because it’s risky. Can’t go buy milk because our truck has 3 pedals. Here are the keys, lad, go work it out in the paddock. Two hours later and we could not get that boy, and then his GF, out of the truck. They learned a hard skill, and then it wasn’t hard. It was just a skill, which turned into real milk. Do hard things! Milk is worth it. Kids are worth it. Back-in-my-day rant over.
Off the top of my head, the first one that comes to mind is that addiction and mental illness should be managed by families as opposed to government-funded programs and institutions. 1.) That’s only available to people with reliable families, and 2.) it’s easy to recommend when you aren’t the one who has to worry about a child who is suffering from addiction or mental illness.
A very good intro to the Who's Who of the Manosphere is James Bloodworth's recent book, LOST BOYS. (I reviewed it here, if you can get around the paywall https://thehub.ca/2025/08/02/lydia-perovic-red-pilled-and-ready-to-rumble-what-happens-when-lonely-young-men-meet-the-manosphere/) Not sure if he'd come on as his twitter persona is very progressive; his longform writing is fair, though. He took the pickup artist classes as a young man in his twenties, which is what he starts the book with. The manosphere has since that time grown massively and is now reaching well into certain corners of the Trump administration. JB's book made me watch FIGHT CLUB, which I somehow missed when it first appeared, and which is hugely important in the mano-mythologies, and I may rewatch the first Matrix as well.
Of course, narrative TV maybe isn't he best information, but "The Wire," is a really great study in the two sides being full of good and bad guys, much more realistic than, say the good and bad guys in Star Wars.
I've never felt that all of this "incel/manosphere/etc" talk was very productive. That's a very small number of people. The number of people who aren't having sex is a very large number of people. The number of people who aren't having much sex is most people.
fwiw - The zero population growth idea that you should have no more than (2) children was popular among my tail-end/gen-x/liberal leaning ladies. It was something they grew up with and planned on. There was no chance to be "magnanimous" and compromise the desire to have more kids because it was an ingredient in long term family planning.
The Retreat sounds amazing! Hope to go to one of the events someday.
My experience is that people who say they are not having kids because they are worried about over population are retro fitting a reason. They want want a moral reason to back up what they chose in their life for more selfish reasons. Saying you don't want kids because you want to travel or want a more flexible life is harder to justify to your parents who picked to have you.
I think it's a lack of building blocks. You can't have kids without having sex, you can't have sex without having your first kiss, you can't have your first kiss without being able go on some sort of date.
For some of the people yes, but is anyone saying they don't want a relationship at all because they don't want to bring kids into this world?
So I’m agreeing with you that I think concern about overpopulation is not a huge factor. I don’t think it’s zero, and I think falls under a larger rubric of a sense of impending doom.
It seems to be true what they say about kids growing up very slowly and fearfully and virtually these days. Yes, driving a real car is scary compared to saving the world from zombies in a video game. 25-year-old Gen Z city boy at our rural house yesterday. Has licence but has barely driven because it’s risky. Can’t go buy milk because our truck has 3 pedals. Here are the keys, lad, go work it out in the paddock. Two hours later and we could not get that boy, and then his GF, out of the truck. They learned a hard skill, and then it wasn’t hard. It was just a skill, which turned into real milk. Do hard things! Milk is worth it. Kids are worth it. Back-in-my-day rant over.
love this.
I can never think of questions for a guest until I hear them speaking. I wish I could have asked a questions like:
Is there an equivalent to Luxury Beliefs on the Right? If so, what are they?
Oh, that is a great question!
Off the top of my head, the first one that comes to mind is that addiction and mental illness should be managed by families as opposed to government-funded programs and institutions. 1.) That’s only available to people with reliable families, and 2.) it’s easy to recommend when you aren’t the one who has to worry about a child who is suffering from addiction or mental illness.
Maybe the anti-choice movement? For poor and working class women, abortion may be an economic issue.
Another could be cutting safety net programs. Those who never have to use them may be more like to support reducing/eliminating.
A very good intro to the Who's Who of the Manosphere is James Bloodworth's recent book, LOST BOYS. (I reviewed it here, if you can get around the paywall https://thehub.ca/2025/08/02/lydia-perovic-red-pilled-and-ready-to-rumble-what-happens-when-lonely-young-men-meet-the-manosphere/) Not sure if he'd come on as his twitter persona is very progressive; his longform writing is fair, though. He took the pickup artist classes as a young man in his twenties, which is what he starts the book with. The manosphere has since that time grown massively and is now reaching well into certain corners of the Trump administration. JB's book made me watch FIGHT CLUB, which I somehow missed when it first appeared, and which is hugely important in the mano-mythologies, and I may rewatch the first Matrix as well.
I heard him speak in London a few months ago and he was really good.
Meghan, could be worth at least trying to get him on the podcast.
Of course, narrative TV maybe isn't he best information, but "The Wire," is a really great study in the two sides being full of good and bad guys, much more realistic than, say the good and bad guys in Star Wars.
The Wire is one of the great shows in the history of television.
And also a great example of a viewpoint that is clearly left wing and clearly anti-[woke/social justice/feminist/etc.].
What about the fact by some counts that GenZ is 20-30% LGBTQ? These communities aren’t inherently family friendly
totally antidotal, but I personally know several lesbian couples with various arrangements of children they wanted.
Damn good point about San Fransico... I was living in Portland, Ore looking down there. Ended up in the American Southwest.
Rob, you're thinking of old New York. It's sad.
Sex recession. I. Do. Not. Like. The. Sound. Of. That.
But very real, e.g. https://www.newsweek.com/number-virgins-america-hits-record-high-2022266
I've never felt that all of this "incel/manosphere/etc" talk was very productive. That's a very small number of people. The number of people who aren't having sex is a very large number of people. The number of people who aren't having much sex is most people.
I am aware. lol - just don't like it.
Immigrant birthrates are higher than native born citizens? That's interesting.
fwiw - The zero population growth idea that you should have no more than (2) children was popular among my tail-end/gen-x/liberal leaning ladies. It was something they grew up with and planned on. There was no chance to be "magnanimous" and compromise the desire to have more kids because it was an ingredient in long term family planning.