What prompts humans to get married? Are humans losing faith on love?

Question

Why is marriage on a decline?

Answer 1

Lots of different reasons besides the romantic answer: Love. There's loneliness, great sex, money (when one of the two is loaded), companionship, economic motivation (two supposedly being able to live as cheaply as one - which is a fantasy), desire for (legitimate) children, to get a "green card", too much booze/drugs, arranged marriages, etc.
Are humans losing faith in love? Well, I'm sure that, as always some are while (probably) many more aren't. Love is promoted far too much in the media (especially movies and TV) to be losing its popularity.
Why is marriage in decline? Are you talking about only the USA or the world in general, because in most of the rest of the world, the institution of marriage is still a strong one? But in the USA, well, maybe marriage has declined primarily because we no longer value the institution as highly as we once did. Our culture has become increasingly skeptical of marriage and of other institutions as well that are thought to restrict or confine adult behavior. In their place, we now put a much higher value on individualism, choice, and unrestricted personal liberty.
As a result, marriage has been losing its social purpose. Instead of serving as our primary institutional expression of commitment and obligation to others, especially children, marriage has increasingly been reduced to a vehicle for the emotional fulfillment of adult partners. "Till death us do part" has been replaced by "as long as I am happy." Marriage is now less an institution that one belongs to and more an idea that we insist on bending to our own, quite individualistic, purposes. Fewer than 50 percent of Americans today include "being married" as part of their definition of family values.
The quest for greater individual choice has clashed directly with the obligations and social norms that held families and communities together in earlier years. People came to feel that questions of how to live and with whom to live were a matter of individual choice not to be governed by restrictive norms. As a nation, we came to experience the bonds to marriage, family, children, job, community, and country as constraints that were no longer necessary. Commitments were loosened.
Marriage has come to be regarded as the problem and not the solution. Marriage, so we are told, is restrictive, confining, oppressive, and unliberating. The solution, many of us have come to believe, is the unencumbered life, the life without binding commitments, the life of new beginnings—a life that can often be achieved through divorce. In the recent past, divorce was limited to those marriages which had irreparably broken down, often because one spouse was seriously pathological or incompetent. Today, divorce may occur simply because one partner is unhappy or because a better partner has been located. And given the high rate of divorce, more and more possible partners are continually entering the market.

Answer 2

For centuries, marriage has been thought of as the ultimate bond between a man and a woman. This has been perpetuated by religion (the union under God). Another main reason people chose to get married were for financial reasons. Not that long ago, women were uneducated and frankly, just there to find a suitable husband so that she would ensure her future financal stability. I cannot state this as fact, but my suspicion as to why marriage has declined is for several reasons.

1. There is a decline in religious beliefs. People do not feel as though they need a piece of paper to state that they are in love.
2. Women are more educated and have financial stability on their own. They no longer need a man to "take care of them".
3. With the divorce rate as high as it is, of course people have reservations as to getting married. Lawyers have also hurt the marriage structure by unfairly dividing assets after a divorce which really has detered the gun shy from getting married. No one wants to lose what they work so hard for.

I personally will never lose faith on love and I would like to get married very much when the time is right. Not because I HAVE to, but because I WANT to.

Answer 3

Normally, it's considered the next step into "completing" the relationship, to make it official & legal by law.
As for your second question, marriage seem to lose its significance over the years or at least the sanctity of it.
With options of a quick wedding ala Britney Spears, marriage has never been easier.
I think for the most part behind the failure of marriages is that couples are disillusioned with the "happily ever after ending" which in the real world, is not always true.
Although those should not mean that one needs to rule out love or marriage altogether... it's just that we're living in a time much different than that of our parents.
Nowadays, financial security is essential in guaranteeing a long lasting relationship, with women working harder than ever before... marriage seem to be a last resort.

Answer 4

I think modern society is pushing Independence far more than in the past. This may be reducing the need for women to feel like they need a man. Who knows, society changes over time. It'll come back around.

Answer 5

Because every one wants someone who they know will stick with them no matter what, and be loyal to them, and take care of them. Plus marriage is the deepest declaration of love- i think. I think our culture doesn't even know love it just gets to mixed up with physical attraction and feelings, we're not losing faith, we're losing the concept of what love is.

Answer 6

Nope, more media hype. Lots of people get married and stay married. I've been married 17+ years and we still chase each other around the garage, playing grabass.

Answer 7

Looook at Nature:


DOgs dont get married
Birds dont get married
Bugs dont get married
Fish dont get married
Mokeys dont get married
Viruses dont get married
Pigs dont get married

they come close and may choose to go away..........

I dont think they even think about it
They seem to have philosophy "Give something and get something."

I think marriage is ARTIFICIAL - men made not NATURAL.

I think it originated from DOGMATIC religon and marriage is also a DOGMA.
It has been nurtured by DOGMATIC-- conservatives d**k heads.


Loook at India there r so many religons.

Now if you kiss your Boy/GIrl friend in public you'll go to Jail.

They call Cultural polution!!!!!!!!!!

Big **** men.

Answer 8

My grandmother says your first marriage is for love, and if you are smart your second will be for money! That makes me sad!
But I am looking for a rich man!

Answer 9

God is Love.Marriage is sacred,its between God and the couple.But many violate this or are made to do so,thus many rocky n' broken marriages.
"Therefore what God has joined together,let not man seperate."

Answer 10

it is a financial decision as well as an illogical love decision and the only acceptable way for catholics everywhere to have sex and not be excommunicated or burn in hell ,they just have to tell evry one they are trying to reproduce or sex for any other reason married or not is a one way ticket to hell