Why is marriage dying?
Demonia90
Posts: 195 Forum Member
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Article from Dailymail
George Clooney, Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne may have all taken the plunge recently — but they are a diminishing band of brothers, for the number of men marrying in the West has plunged in recent decades.
The state of matrimony is not just ailing. It is dying out faster than a mobile phone battery.
According to the Office for National Statistics, marriage in Britain is at its lowest level since 1895. In 2011, there were just 286,634 ceremonies — a 41 per cent free fall from 1972, when 480,285 couples tied the knot.
For an army of women, Mr Right is simply not there, no matter how hard they look for him. And the reason? When it comes to marriage, men are on strike.
Why? Because the rewards are far less than they used to be, while the cost and dangers it presents are far greater.
‘Ultimately, men know there’s a good chance they’ll lose their friends, their respect, their space, their sex life, their money and — if it all goes wrong — their family,’ says Dr Helen Smith, author of Why Men Are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood And The American Dream.
‘They don’t want to enter into a legal contract with someone who could effectively take half their savings, pension and property when the honeymoon period is over.
‘Men aren’t wimping out by staying unmarried or being commitment phobes. They’re being smart.’
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Comments
And you are far better off financially having a bunch of kids but just living down the road from their father(s).
Rape the hard working taxpayer.
But of course, "it's all legal", "it's their money they can do what they want with it" and "it's the government's fault".
The paper has nothing to do with it - that's the point.
But your opinion is probably what a large number of people think so it is no wonder people don't get married.
As i said above, it's all about the money now - the self, the greed, the "i want it all and i want it now".
I assume you are talking about the venues, churches, catering, cakes etc...which are marked up and exploit the situation of getting married.
That's one part of it.
The other part is the people - they don't get married because the marriage itself costs money and i do believe being married, or even living together costs money.
Marriage does nothing of the sort. I think most Western countries have that covered by laws without getting married.
Maybe some people marry because they think it shows they love each other and want to show the other they are dedicated to them for the rest of their lives.
It's sad people think it takes a piece of paper and a ring to show that.
True...but then again you don't need marriage to prove that, those that think that must be quiet insecure.
Re read and you will realise that is not what is been said.
Also-serial monogamy is the norm these days-people have a handful of serious relationships throughout their lives, this is the new norm.
I know people on their 4th marriages. Isn't marriage supposed to be for life??!
All this marriage-divorce-marriage-divorce-marriage-divorce activity makes a total mockery of the concept.
Spare yourself all the angst of the whole rigmarole and DONT BOTHER!!
I know happy couples who've been together for decades & aren't married. It's a big party at the end of the day, a title you have & to most doesn't mean much more than that.
People used to get married (and stay married) because they had to. This is no longer the case.
I wonder what would happen if people prior to the 1950s had the choice. It is interesting to note how many of the rich lived apart and openly had lovers.
Not for me, sorry. I'm quite happy single. I can please myself, don't have to make compromises and don't have to continually try and live up to ludicrously high expectations.
With or without being married you can live together, go on holiday together, have the same name, have pets, have a family, share a car, have joint bank account(s), buy a house together.
However, if you are not marriage the partner is not automatic next of kin, is not entitled to a settlement in case of split and is not entitled to make end of life/medical decisions due to not being automatic next of kin. Also, thanks to the tories, if you are married, you get a tax a break too. So it's also about money.
As I said, marriage is all about the law and the legal security you get from it.
They wanted equality. That doesn't mean that all gay couples want to get married. They just want the option to do so if they wish.
I'm not married and I don't live down the road from my kids father, we live together in our own home, we don't "rape" the tax payer or claim any benefits whatsoever, your very presumptuous tarring everyone with the same brush.
Although we are engaged and plan to marry.
I plan to get married in the future to my partner, but we are in no rush. We're going to get married because we love each other, that's it really. We don't need the ring and the piece of paper to prove we love each other, but it'll be a nice day for the family regardless.
That's a very wide brush you're tarring people with.