Why Marriage?

How tying the knot isn’t always the best option.

Adulthood holds terrifying things for all of us; scheduling your own appointments, moving out of your parent’s house, and possibly marrying the wrong person.

When you think of a normal adult life you may think about a steady job, a house, and a spouse.

Marriage is a huge part of a lot of cultures and we have the idea that we need marriage for a normal adult life. When most people think about mar- riage, they think about the love and support they hope to receive from their future spouse, when I think about marriage, I think about how 50% of marriages end in divorce.

Many people tell me that I will eventually change my mind, but I am not planning on it. I may have unorthodox opinions, but I am trying to save myself time and money for the future on this one.

Thinking about marriage in high school seems crazy, but some of us are forced to because of the household some people live in. Usually young adults will form their opinions based on what they have experienced in their environment.

My parents have been happily married for 21 years, so I have nothing to blame my hatred for marriage on besides my own fears.

I tend to sweep my fear of commitment and irrational fears, which I have no idea where they came from, under the rug. Marriage is about committing yourself to one person for the rest of your life in exchange for the similar promise, but it usually doesn’t work like that.

I believe that as humans it is instinctual to desire multiple people throughout your life, but we do have the ability to be monogamous. If a person fails at monogamy it usually means the marriage is over. I don’t want to spend my adult life fighting instinct.

Not only does marriage limit the ways you spend your time, but it also forces you to put your spouse’s needs and desires before your own.

Call me selfish, but that is not possible for me,. To quit growing and working on myself as a person for marriage is a ridiculous request. Unfortunately, many people still have the idea that a wife must be the perfect homemaker; she must cook and clean to be a good wife. Times are changing, but this idea is usually a culture thing and is almost impossible to break because generations of people have been conditioned to sharing that value their entire life.

Marriage is not a requirement for adulthood, and it doesn’t make you ridiculous to not want to get married. Commitment issues are an issue that most people deal with, so there is no real solution to my problem, nor does it need a solution. There will be no punishment for me since I am not religious, so my plan to spend the rest of my life with my own success is set.