"One has children in the expectation of dying before them. In fact, you want to make damn sure you die before them, just as you plant a tree or build a house knowing, hoping that it will outlive you. That's how the human species has done as well as it has"
- Christopher Hitchens
About this Quote
In this quote, Christopher Hitchens reflects on the fundamental human desire for tradition and continuity. The concept of having kids with the expectation of passing away before them suggests a fundamental aspect of the human condition: the acceptance of death coupled with the hope for continuity through future generations. This expectation is not a mere resignation to fate but a purposeful desire; parents wish to ensure their kids outlast them, a sentiment rooted in both love and the impulse to maintain one's family tree.
Hitchens draws a parallel in between having children and planting a tree or building a house. These actions are naturally future-oriented, performed with the understanding and hope that they will sustain beyond one's own life. Planting a tree represents a contribution to the future environment, a shelter and source of life that will possibly grow for decades beyond the planter's life time. Similarly, building a house is producing an area of security and comfort that will serve others after the builder is gone. These actions reflect a natural human drive to add to the well-being of the world beyond their life-span, to leave something lasting and positive.
By recommending that this mindset is why "the human species has actually done as well as it has," Hitchens highlights the importance of insight and selflessness in human development. The determination to buy future generations, often at the expense of one's immediate comfort or resources, promotes social stability and advancement. It highlights a wider, evolutionary point of view: mankind's success is deeply interconnected with the capacity to plan for and buy the future.
In essence, Hitchens' quote encapsulates an extensive reality about the human experience. It sheds light on how the desire for tradition-- manifested through children, trees, or enduring building and constructions-- not just gives personal lives indicating however also propels the human types forward. This outlook fosters a sense of continuity that transcends individual mortality, embedding personal existence within the broader, continuous narrative of humankind.
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