The self-centered reality of that decision is precisely where we run afoul of the Golden Rule. Consider, for a moment, all the unattractive aspects of raising children that inspired your pious rationalizations in the first place. They’re loud, noisy, and needy. They’re always dribbling from one end or the other. They’ll interrupt your life goals.

You won’t have nearly as much time for your career, your causes, your hobbies, and your amusements. You’ll have less disposable income, go on fewer ideal vacations, wear less stylish clothes, eat at more mundane restaurants, and generally be much less free to do as thou wilt. Take all those reasons, and add whichever ones you want. Apart from rare circumstances like severe family trauma resulting in lasting and irreparable psychological damage, or the inability to care for other people due to severe disabilities, the specifics don’t really matter in the end.

Now consider that your own parents went through pretty much that entire list of yours so that you could be here. Your father and mother embraced everything you see as unpleasant, for you—for the life that you so cherish that you don’t want to give up any of it to share with a family of your own.