noahrevoy on Nostr: All joy and pleasure in life come from the building of tension and its release. ...

All joy and pleasure in life come from the building of tension and its release. Building tension is difficult. It requires struggle and effort. It is not easy. The release can also be difficult, shocking even. But without the cycle of building and releasing energy, life becomes empty.

Children represent one of the longest-term processes of building and releasing energy that most people will ever experience. During early childhood, much of the work involves sustained effort over months and years before the reward is fully felt. When that release comes, it is among the most satisfying experiences available to us.

For those who are focused only on the present moment, who cannot think beyond the immediate second they are living in, this long arc is intolerable. They cannot endure the difficulty long enough to reach the reward.

This does not mean that children are not rewarding. It means that some people lack the discipline required to access the joy that child-rearing offers. That is a critical distinction.