David Benatar Quotes

#1. Coming into existence is always bad for those who come into existence. In other words, although we may not be able to say of the never-existent that never existing is good for them, we can say of the existent that existence is bad for them.

David Benatar

#2. It is curious that while good people go to great lengths to spare their children from suffering, few of them seem to notice that the one (and only) guaranteed way to prevent all the suffering of their children is not to bring those children into existence in the first place.

David Benatar

#3. I am under no illusions. My position, no matter how clearly stated, is likely to be misunderstood.

David Benatar

#4. Notice, by extension, that in a democracy those committed to non-procreation could never, in the long run, prevail politically against those committed to procreation.

David Benatar

#5. On my view there is no net benefit to coming into existence and thus coming into existence is never worth its costs.

David Benatar