It is no more “Till death do us part”; it should be “Till divorce do us part” which is just round the corner for most couples. Recent surveys have shown that more and more people feel that soon the institution of marriage is going to be history. We see more unmarried people in the age group of 24-35 today than there have been any time in past. Can we have a look at the reasons why marriage is looked down upon as an outdated concept?
1. Marriage, like many other needs – such as clothes, is restricted to only homo sapiens. So it is a choice and not necessity.
2. Many other species have survived and procreated without marriage and oaths binding them. Today people are asking the question: why bondage for us?
3. The institution of marriage came into existence only about 5,000 years ago, so people have survived without the help of this institution.
4. It was not love or religion, but the need to bind women to men, and thus guarantee that a man’s children were truly his biological heirs that gave birth to this practice. This may not be acceptable to a scientifically-advanced society.
5. Religion and love entered the scenario of marriage much later, so they may not be able to hold it for long.
6. Society is all about change, but at present the change is happening at such a pace that we are unable to cope with it. People’s need to bind themselves to other individuals for lifetime is, however, fading.
7. People have no time to mend things, instead they discard and replace things. The same applies to relationships today. Will a legal relationship like marriage survive this phase when blood bonds are failing?
8. Easy lifestyles have spoiled us so much that we are not able to deal with the challenges that come with marriage.
9. The rising rate of divorce and falling rate of marriage is proof enough that the people have no respect for the marriage oath.
10. Even for those who are married, the institution is changing, adapting itself to the demands of modern society.
11. A child out of marriage is not a social disgrace in the contemporary world. More women are feeling comfortable enough economically and culturally to bring up a child without a recognized commitment from a man.
12. Many couples feel that they can provide a better home environment for a child without marriage. Here both parents are equal and make a choice to love the child.
13. Most people prefer being happy and content today, rather than to sacrifice themselves for the sake of a relationship.
14. If a couple does want to be together, they will not opt for the formal bond of matrimony for the sake of family or society; because the influence of society and family in personal decisions of individuals is dwindling.
15. For the past few centuries, religion took hold of marriage. Today, when religion is losing its stronghold and going down, it is taking the institution of marriage along with it.
16. Earlier people got married at a young age, which made the decision easier. Today, both men and women are career-oriented and will not settle down until they are professionally well-established. This makes the decision tougher.
17. With both men and women being financially independent, economic security that came with marriage is not valid anymore.
18. Today’s generation does not want to surrender their dreams in case their partner or relationship is holding them back, which often happens in a marriage.
19. Modern women find the pursuit of higher academia to be a more preferred insurance policy for their future than a man.
20. The rising divorce rates do not provide security to the couple that they seek through marriage, which is coming with shorter and shorter expiry date.
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