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Also, given the fact that no one is perfect, most people are reasonably selfish and the standards of fidelity that some folks have are beyond any reasonable scale (women don't really get how men work it seems, or they know all too well and completely overreact). It's just a situation where you're set up to fail.
Plus there's the fact (a fact in my view) that marriage has nothing to do with love as it is historically constructed. It's about property, tradition, religion, duty, domestic economy but not "love" as that term is understood today. Women don't need men anymore, and men don't need women as much (though children still need their parents), so the glue that used to keep people married (NEED not WANT <i.e. love>) isn't really there anymore. It's a matter of iron will to stay married because why not just walk away because the romance isn't there anymore, he got fat and bald, she lost her job, he has annoying habits, the neighbour looks better or whatever other number of stupid reasons people get divorced these days (like she went out for drinks with a co worker).
Divorce used to be illegal. Not a bad idea on the whole in my view from a policy perspective. What we have now, for an individual, is a mess.
I recall once hearing the advice that Italian mothers gave their daughters at their marriage, "he will cheat, but is he a good man?" Sound advice, but utterly nonsensical nowadays. Now, if your husband looks at the hot young thing on the street, the wife's on the phone with the divorce lawyer. Completely unreasonable.
Anyways, I'm sure I'm going to spark a slugging match, so bring it and let's go!
My position: Marriage is broken and no longer workable for a reasonable person. Evidence, 50% divorce rate. At those break up rates, why bother with marriage?
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