[HitmanLV]

I love children and don't see why I shouldn't be able to have a child just because many men seem to be retards and aren't interested in marrying a good woman when they see one. Frankly, I'd prefer to have a family and not be a shriveled up cat lady in twenty years.

From this quote I can see that you have several problems.

First, I say this to men all the time and the basic principle applies to women also. The fact that men might be consistently rejecting a woman doesn't categorically mean they are 'retards,' nor does it mean that the woman they are seeing/rejecting is a 'good one.'

People tend to be rejected romantically because of substantive, rather than superficial, grounds. For whatever reason, those men you describe may have no genuine desire to marry at all. They may have a desire to marry, but not marry the woman they are dating. That doesn't necessarily make them a 'retard.' Indeed, it could mean they have just have good taste and don't see the woman as a good long-term companion.

So to be fair, you have to at least consider that the 'great lady' isn't all that great in the eyes of potential suiters. Some may be superficial, some may have mis-evaluated the woman, but most probably were substantive and evaluated her well enough to make a decision. "PASS" is a legitimate decision.

Second, you reveal a false dichotomy in your mind, which shows a lack of genuine, independent thought (which, by the way, a lot of men find unappealing). The choice isn't between having a family and being a shriveled up cat lady. When you present the choice as that, you are correct - a family is a better choice. But you fail to acknowledge that those aren't the only two choices and that there is a broad range of choices available.

When you needlessly limit the choice, your answer makes sense. Those aren't the only two choices available.

[Accygirl]

I know that... This is what I'm pointing out. If I can't find a desirable partner, I'd consider having a baby alone. If I do by some miracle get married, I'm still going to go to work as I don't like housework and being a PTA mommy. However, many people on this board do believe that there's only two choices... Be a stay at home mom and make pot roast ala Donna Reed or be a cat lady. I find it abhorrent that some people still hold this view and spending lots of time arguing with them.