It started with a post reading, “Once you’re past 50, you stop knowing what you’re even living for” — and spiraled into a debate on 5ch’s ‘anything goes’ live discussion board (Nanchan) about how having kids or not shapes the back half of life.
Posters who resented losing their freedom to child-rearing squared off against those dreading loneliness and emptiness in old age — and one self-described childless single with roughly ¥150 million (over $1 million) in assets chimed in with a confession of their own.
Once you hit your 50s, you stop knowing what you're even living for
Feels like I'm gonna reach that point way sooner than that
>>3
Might hit some people once they're past 40 too
Might hit some people once they're past 40 too
Never thought there'd come a day I'd get sick of myself (or start showing the signs of it)
>>7
Yeah, that day comes.
Once you get older, change stops happening on its own.
When you're young, stuff around you just keeps changing whether you like it or not, but once you're older you have to actively create change yourself — and you don't have the energy left for that.
If you've got kids, they force change into your life whether you want it or not.
Yeah, that day comes.
Once you get older, change stops happening on its own.
When you're young, stuff around you just keeps changing whether you like it or not, but once you're older you have to actively create change yourself — and you don't have the energy left for that.
If you've got kids, they force change into your life whether you want it or not.
Wonder how my old man felt when I cut him off at 18
>>9
Maybe once you're older they'll reach out to you first.
But even if they don't, you should be the one to call.
Maybe once you're older they'll reach out to you first.
But even if they don't, you should be the one to call.
The whole country's already screwed at this point
Are you dumb? Wrecking your body from a young age to raise kids is the real 'life's over'
If you've got nieces and nephews living nearby and you're actually close with them, you'll be fine
>>15
Nieces and nephews grow up, get married, and move out too, you know
Nieces and nephews grow up, get married, and move out too, you know
Must've been a real blast, throwing away roughly 20 years of freedom for your kids
>>16
Wanting freedom is a young person's thing.
Once you're older, freedom loses its appeal.
Wanting freedom is a young person's thing.
Once you're older, freedom loses its appeal.
>>16
Honestly, it's actually pretty fun
Honestly, it's actually pretty fun
>>14
Sorry, but overall, childless people just seem to have less fulfilling lives than people raising kids
Sorry, but overall, childless people just seem to have less fulfilling lives than people raising kids
>>26
You really know that many childless people over 50?
What kind of world are you living in?
You really know that many childless people over 50?
What kind of world are you living in?
>>37
Childless 50-somethings are gonna become more common once the 'yutori' generation (Japan's relaxed-education cohort) hits that age
Childless 50-somethings are gonna become more common once the 'yutori' generation (Japan's relaxed-education cohort) hits that age
>>37
Well, I'm over 40, so
of course I know a few people in their 50s.
I mean, if you're a normal working adult, isn't it pretty normal to know a handful of people like that anyway?
Well, I'm over 40, so
of course I know a few people in their 50s.
I mean, if you're a normal working adult, isn't it pretty normal to know a handful of people like that anyway?
Well, I'm pushing 50 myself and childless.
Only thing I've got is money, for what it's worth.
About ¥150 million.
No kids to leave it to, so yeah, there's an emptiness to it.
Guess I'll just live it up however I want with this cash.
Only thing I've got is money, for what it's worth.
About ¥150 million.
No kids to leave it to, so yeah, there's an emptiness to it.
Guess I'll just live it up however I want with this cash.
>>59
Money you earned just to hand over in taxes, lol
Money you earned just to hand over in taxes, lol
>>59
Isn't it more like you've got assets, but also liabilities?
Isn't it more like you've got assets, but also liabilities?
>>59
As an individual, that's the right call.
Pouring your resources into other people to find your worth is just proof you're empty inside
As an individual, that's the right call.
Pouring your resources into other people to find your worth is just proof you're empty inside
The reason low birth rates aren't envied to begin with is that this generation watched what happened once their parents got married and realized it's already too late by then.
Marriage = happiness is an outdated equation.
Or rather, marriage itself might make you happy, but the kind of marriage a 'chii-gyuu' (this board's self-deprecating term for a dorky, unremarkable-looking guy) can actually land is just a 'weak man's marriage' — so yeah, staying single starts looking better.
And from the women's side, it's like this too
Marriage = happiness is an outdated equation.
Or rather, marriage itself might make you happy, but the kind of marriage a 'chii-gyuu' (this board's self-deprecating term for a dorky, unremarkable-looking guy) can actually land is just a 'weak man's marriage' — so yeah, staying single starts looking better.
And from the women's side, it's like this too
>>75
If you refuse to compromise and keep aiming higher, I think you'll just be miserable forever
If you refuse to compromise and keep aiming higher, I think you'll just be miserable forever
>>79
Both sides thinking 'I didn't want to marry someone like this' while compromising, living together around the clock in a tense, bickering household — and then having a kid born into that kind of family?
What's happy about that, lol
It's just history repeating itself
Both sides thinking 'I didn't want to marry someone like this' while compromising, living together around the clock in a tense, bickering household — and then having a kid born into that kind of family?
What's happy about that, lol
It's just history repeating itself
>>84
If you compromise, it won't be tense
If you compromise, it won't be tense
>>87
It will be, it's full of stress
It will be, it's full of stress
>>87
Compromising by just not getting married is the easy way
Compromising by just not getting married is the easy way
You've got kids yourself, so why are you here speaking for how childless middle-aged guys feel?
That mentality is baffling
That mentality is baffling
>>92
It's because you don't actually have kids.
Probably no wife either
It's because you don't actually have kids.
Probably no wife either
>>92
One thing's for sure, that's not something a happy person would do
One thing's for sure, that's not something a happy person would do
Will our kids' generation not need to work at all,
or are they gonna become an even worse 'ice age' generation (Japan's infamous lost-generation of job seekers)?
https://tadaup.jp/8rDSmaKU.jpeg
or are they gonna become an even worse 'ice age' generation (Japan's infamous lost-generation of job seekers)?
https://tadaup.jp/8rDSmaKU.jpeg
Honestly, I'm not great with kids —
but would my own kid actually seem cute to me?
but would my own kid actually seem cute to me?
>>119
Depends on the person.
If it worked that way for everyone, child abuse wouldn't happen
Depends on the person.
If it worked that way for everyone, child abuse wouldn't happen
>>119
For most people, yeah
For most people, yeah
>>119
It's fine to stay bad with kids.
Once you get older, you stop even having emotional reactions like 'not good with this' or 'this is hard.'
All that's left is emptiness that just keeps lingering.
The depression rate among elderly people living alone is seriously high, after all.
It's fine to stay bad with kids.
Once you get older, you stop even having emotional reactions like 'not good with this' or 'this is hard.'
All that's left is emptiness that just keeps lingering.
The depression rate among elderly people living alone is seriously high, after all.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nanchan) thread “People Without Kids Are Screwed in Life”.
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