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

Deciding not to have children isn't selfish, it's the opposite because you may be aware that you're not responsible enough at this point to have children, you may even have conditions which are hereditary which are an adversity for you and if you decided to have children there's a potential that your children may also experience these conditions, making their lives harder, they may be able to manage it better however, it's quite responsible to even avoid them even experiencing a condition without having children.

Your premise is flawed; it's not about avoiding personal inadequacy or hereditary burdens. To choose not to propagate simply because one fears passing on a perceived disadvantage or acknowledges their current limitations is to deny the fundamental human capacity for growth and responsibility. It is, in fact, a retreat from the very act of living and contributing to the future. Is existence itself not a gamble? To truly live is to embrace the inherent risks and responsibilities of existence. One cannot simply opt out of the human project based on a calculated risk of discomfort. This is not responsibility; it is an abdication of potential.