Why Get Married?
August 8, 2006 by Vixen
My mother got married when she turned 25. My grandmother when she was 20. However, here I am, way past my mom’s age and not even thinking about marriage. Why is it that couples and singles of our generation are foregoing marriage for cohabitation and long term relationships?
The institution of marriage was always one that was hyped from the moment you realised that boys were cool too. As kids I remember playing dress up and thinking of my wedding day with high hopes of getting hitched in my 20s. However, the closer I get to 30, the more I’m thinking that there isn’t a rush.
With the high and ever increasing divorce rates, marriage doesn’t seem like such a blissful happily ever after state. 50% of marriages now end in divorce. Fifty percent! And that number is still on the rise. No wonder Quarterlifers are scared of the altar.
In addition to that, our civilization has given us the tools to simulate married life without the “till death do us part” section. Couples can have bank accounts together, buy houses together, live together, all without even a trip to the altar. The convenience of cohabitation is there as well as the thought that in the back of our minds, if things don’t work out, we can always pack up and leave–no fuss, no muss.
Add to that our generation is living a more independent lifestyle than previous generations. Women are making big bucks, getting promotions and are able to adopt children/get pregnant without a man even in the mix. This also detracts from the draw of the wedded state.
There is also so much that we want to do as independents…travel, move cross country, get a post-graduate degrees, start-up our own business and just live carefree lives without adding the whole responsibility of someone else on our hands.
We know just from watching TV & our parent’s generation that marriage isn’t easy. But somehow, the other 50% who aren’t divorced manage to make it work.
Perhaps there’s hope for us after all.
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Do you really think people are naive enough to believe that if they don’t get married and just cohabit, a breakup will really be “no muss, no fuss”? I see some of the points you’re trying to make, but it seems like there must be more to it than that…
Ummm, did you actually read this post? If you did, you can see that it’s more an open forum article than a solid stance on either side. People are naive, that’s a given, but whichever side you choose can be made to work, that’s the point of the whole article.