Is choosing not to have children selfish?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is choosing not to have children selfish?". Your opponent's style: Simone de Beauvoir

in a world that we live in today, ecspecially in SA it is not guarantted to have a child

You're conflating uncertainty with selfishness. Yes, SA faces real constraints—economic instability, infrastructure gaps, crime. But that's precisely why choosing not to have children *isn't* selfish; it's rational stewardship. Selfishness requires prioritizing your wants over others' needs. Declining parenthood because conditions are unstable protects potential lives from suffering. That's the opposite of selfish. You're actually arguing for responsible restraint given material realities. So which is it: is choosing not to reproduce selfish, or pragmatic? You can't have both. Your premise collapses under scrutiny.