Life inherently involves pain, suffering, and struggle—be it physical, emotional, or mental. Even the most privileged lives are not immune to loss, illness, fear, or death. While moments of pleasure and happiness can exist, they are fleeting and often come with conditions or costs. In contrast, non-existence is entirely devoid of suffering because there is no sentience to experience it.
In a state of non-existence, there is no need for happiness, no unmet desires, and no deprivation. Existing, however, introduces countless needs—food, shelter, companionship, health, safety—and these needs must constantly be satisfied to avoid pain or discomfort. Life often feels like a futile cycle of temporarily resolving needs, only for new ones to emerge.
No one chooses to be born. Being brought into existence is an imposition, one that forces an individual into a world of inherent suffering, responsibilities, and eventual death. If someone is not born, they are not deprived of happiness or joy because they do not exist to miss those experiences. However, when someone is born, they are exposed to all the risks of suffering.
Life, no matter how fulfilling, always ends in death. For many, the process of dying is terrifying and painful, and even the idea of ceasing to exist can provoke existential dread. The inevitability of death casts a shadow over all experiences, making life seem, to some, like an exercise in postponing the inevitable.
Even if someone experiences happiness, it is often outweighed by suffering. Chronic pain, mental illness, poverty, loss, and grief are common realities for many. A single traumatic event can overshadow years of contentment, making life's balance skew heavily toward suffering.
Non-existence is a neutral state. It lacks suffering, deprivation, fear, and pain. For those who see life as inherently burdensome, non-existence appears as the ultimate liberation—a state where nothing bad can ever happen because "nothingness" feels like salvation from harm.
Where and how one is born is entirely random. Some are born into privilege and comfort, while others face unimaginable suffering from birth. This randomness underscores how unfair life can be, leading some to view existence as a gamble where the stakes are unnecessarily high.
If one does not exist, there is no harm in not existing. There is no loss or deprivation. But once someone exists, they are vulnerable to harm, suffering, and loss. This makes existence seem like an unnecessary risk, one that would have been avoided if the person had never been born.
From the moment we are born, life demands that we meet countless basic needs: food, water, shelter, clothing, healthcare, and so on. These necessities are rarely provided freely; instead, individuals are forced to engage in labor to earn money, which becomes the means to access these essentials. This creates a cycle where survival is tied to productivity, regardless of whether one finds meaning or fulfillment in their work.
The necessity to work often leaves people with little autonomy over their time and choices. Most people spend the majority of their lives working in jobs they don't enjoy, enduring stress, monotony, or exploitation simply to make ends meet. This lack of freedom can make life feel like a form of imprisonment, where the individual exists to fuel an economic system rather than to pursue their own happiness or purpose.
The global economic system is inherently unequal, with vast disparities in wealth and opportunities. Many are born into poverty, forced to work in grueling conditions just to survive, while a small minority lives in comfort and abundance. This systemic inequality means that the suffering of the many supports the luxury of the few. Being born into this system is to be subjected to its harsh realities without consent, and many never escape these conditions.
Even for those who manage to achieve financial stability, the labor itself often feels meaningless or unfulfilling. People dedicate decades of their lives to jobs that contribute little to their personal growth or well-being. This raises the question: why must one be born only to labor, suffer, and die, often without ever experiencing true freedom or fulfillment?
The need to earn money to survive perpetuates a cycle of consumption. People are not only forced to labor to meet their needs but are also encouraged to consume more than they need, driven by societal expectations and corporate interests. This cycle traps individuals in a system that exploits their time, energy, and resources, further eroding their sense of autonomy.
Being born into a world where survival is contingent on labor and money transforms life from a potential "gift" into a burden. The constant pressure to work, earn, and consume leaves little room for genuine joy, peace, or self-discovery. For many, life becomes a series of exhausting transactions, where every moment is spent paying for the right to exist.
Non-existence, in contrast, requires nothing. There are no needs to meet, no jobs to perform, no bosses to please, and no endless pursuit of money to survive. It offers a state of pure freedom from the burdens imposed by life, including the obligation to labor. Non-existence eliminates the unfair imposition of being born into a system that demands productivity in exchange for survival.
