In many countries, marriage is becoming less common, and the institution of marriage has changed more in the last decades than in thousands of years before. In 2021, 47.35 million men and 41.81 million women in the US were never married, which is double the 15% of US adults who were never married in 1960. Some reasons why people are choosing not to get married include: 

• Infidelity 
• Increasing career opportunities and independence 
• Finding more security living with parents and siblings 
• Not wanting to be tied down to a spouse and children 
• Wanting freedom and to live life on their own terms 
• Not wanting to be another divorce statistic and deal with custody battles 

The decline in marriage rates is turning into a demographic crisis for some countries, such as Japan and China. In Japan, the decline is affecting the world’s third-largest economy and oldest population. In China, the fewest marriages were registered in 2022 since public records began, and the working population is expected to be reduced by 10% by 2050

Some reasons why marriages may not last today include:

• Lack of communication Not communicating, communicating poorly, or letting an emotional gap grow can be fatal to marriages. 
• Infidelity 60% of couples cite infidelity as a reason for divorce. 
• Conflict and arguing 72.2% of couples say that too much conflict and arguing is a major contributor to divorce. 
• Substance abuse Up to 45% of couples may split up due to substance dependence issues. 
• Not staying connected Experts say that relationships won’t last if couples aren’t staying connected through communication or other means. 
• Unrealistic expectations Marriages that last longer tend to meet the expectations of those involved. 
• Jealousy Jealousy can be a main reason for divorce. 
• Lack of attention Lack of attention can be a common problem in marriages, especially when people are busy and stressed out. 

Other reasons why marriages may fail include:

• Financial burdens or undiscussed debts 
• Trouble opening up to your spouse 
• Running a family 
• Lack of sex and intimacy 
• Your friends don’t like your spouse 
• A toxic spouse 
• Schedule issues

Infidelity, arguing, infertility, and lack of commitment are some of the top reasons for divorce in the world. There’s usually more than one cause of divorce, though. Most divorce reasons are preventable, though, when both partners are in love and willing to spend time and energy in solving the differences

How was the world 🌎 before marriages start

Anthropologists believe that before marriage, families were loosely organized groups of up to 30 people, with multiple male leaders and women shared by them. The first recorded evidence of marriage ceremonies uniting one man and one woman dates from about 2350 B.C. in Mesopotamia

The concept of marriage came about around 4,000 years ago in ancient Greece, when humans began settling down and practicing agriculture. The idea was to make a woman a man’s property, and ensure that the children she gave birth to belonged to him. Early marriage was seen as a strategic alliance between families, with the youngsters often having no say in the matter. In some cultures, parents even married one child to the spirit of a deceased child in order to strengthen familial bonds. 

Marriage was originally viewed as something far more transactional than romantic. Ancient societies needed a secure environment for the perpetuation of the species, a system of rules to handle the granting of property rights, and the protection of bloodlines, and the institution of marriage handled these needs. 

Why did humans start marriages

Marriage has many purposes, including:

• Procreation: Marriage ensures that a man’s children are his biological heirs. 
• Companionship: Marriage offers a formal commitment to partners to build a life together and share experiences. 
• Redemption: Some say that marriage has a purpose of redemption. 
• Trade and diplomatic relationships: Marriage can establish peaceful relationships, trading relationships, and mutual obligations with other groups of people. 
• Family ties: Marriage can keep alliances within the family. For example, in the Bible, Abraham married his half-sister and Isaac and Jacob married cousins. 
• Care of children: Marriage can involve the care of children, their education, and socialization. 
• Regulation of lines of descent: Marriage can regulate lines of descent

Westermarck argues that marriage is a social institution that rests on a biological foundation, and developed through a process in which human males came to live together with human females for sexual gratification, companionship, mutual economic aid, procreation, and the joint rearing of offspring

What is the history of human marriage

The earliest evidence of marriage ceremonies uniting a man and a woman is from Mesopotamia in 2350 B.C. . However, anthropologists believe that weddings may have existed as early as 4,350 years ago. Before that, families were likely loose groups of about 30 people with multiple leaders and shared partners

The Finnish philosopher and anthropologist Edvard Westermarck wrote The History of Human Marriage in 1891, which provides an overview of marriage over time. In the book, Westermarck argues that marriage is a social institution based on biology, and developed through the process of men and women interacting with each other for sexual gratification, companionship, economic aid, procreation, and raising offspring

Marriage has multiple purposes, including:

• Companionship: A formal commitment to build a life together and share experiences 
• Procreation: The generation and education of children 
• Social order: A way to extend family lineage and maintain social order 
• Legal rights: Ensures the rights of partners with respect to each other and the rights and relationships of children within a community 
• Responsibility: Married people are responsible for another human being, which can lead to more responsible, fruitful, and satisfying lives 
• Transformation: Changes the way two people look at each other, the future, and their roles in society

Originally the purpose of marriage was to have a system in place to produce, care for, and raise children. However, life is such that many have found marriage unnecessary or distasteful for these purposes

Marriage can shape relationships in many ways, including:

• Commitment: Marriage can increase commitment and stability in a relationship. 
• Trust and respect: Marriage can help foster trust and respect in a relationship. 
• Communication: Marriage can help maintain open and honest communication. 
• Shared values: Marriage can help couples identify shared values and beliefs. 
• Common goals: Marriage can help couples set and work toward common goals and dreams. 
• Intimacy: Marriage can help deepen the emotional connection between partners through physical intimacy and romance. 
• Teamwork: Marriage can require teamwork and collaboration. 
• Personality: A University of Georgia study suggests that couples undergo significant personality changes during the first year and a half of marriage, becoming less agreeable and cooperative. 
• Sexual fidelity: Marriage can increase sexual fidelity, as cohabiting men are four times more likely to cheat than husbands, and cohabiting women are eight times more likely to cheat than wives

How will the world without marriages

Some say that life can be fulfilling and happy without marriage, and that marriage is not the only indicator of a successful life. People can find fulfillment in personal growth, meaningful relationships, and contributing to society, regardless of their marital status. 

However, others say that the journey of life spent with another person provides something precious that can’t be bought, even if the marriage ends badly. 

According to a Reddit post, in a society without marriage, children would be cared for by specific community members, and the entire community would eat together. People would generally have their own cottages for privacy, but they wouldn’t be expected to share them long term

Is marriage necessary for today’s 🌎 world

Marriage is a voluntary union between two people based on love, respect, and commitment. It’s considered an important part of life for many people because it can provide:

• Emotional support Marriage can foster companionship and a deep connection between couples. Studies have shown that being married is linked to having less depression and anxiety. 
• Stability Marriage can help create stability and families, which can help people grow and bring society together. Married people have higher incomes and education, lower substance abuse, and other stability enhancers. 
• Structure Many people choose to raise children within marriage, which can provide a structured and stable environment for their upbringing. 
• Selflessness Marriage can provide an opportunity to grow in selflessness as you serve your wife and children. 

However, the marriage rate has been decreasing for decades, and those who do get married often wait until later in life. Marriage is no longer a necessity for having a family or achieving financial comfort

The Role of Marriage in Society Marriage is really important for providing emotional and mental support. It’s a basic part of making families and creating stability, which helps people grow and brings society together. Studies have shown that being married is linked to having less depression and anxiety

Are there any alternatives for marriage

Here are some alternatives to marriage:

• Domestic partnerships: Also known as civil unions, these may be a modern alternative to marriage for couples who don’t want to be associated with traditional religious and patriarchal connotations. 
• Cohabitation: This is when two people live together in the same residence without being legally married. Cohabiting couples usually don’t have the same legal rights and protections as married couples. 
• Companionship marriages: These focus on building an emotional bond and enjoying each other’s company, rather than romantic love. They are often common for older couples or those whose children have left the house. 
• Living apart together (LAT): This is another alternative to marriage. 
• Polyamorous relationships: This is another alternative to marriage.

Cohabitation in the Indian ScenarioCohabitation, where couples live together without marrying, is similar to live-in relationships but with a more formal agreement in place. These agreements can outline the division of expenses, property rights, and other responsibilities

Here are some other types of marriage:

• Monogamy: A marriage between one man and one woman at a time. This is the only universally recognized form of marriage. 
• Polygamy: A marriage between more than one spouse at a time. Polyandry is when a woman marries more than one man, and polygamy is when a man marries more than one woman. Polygamy is rare worldwide and is mostly limited to a few regions. 
• Interfaith marriage: A marriage between people of different religions. 
• Common-law marriage: A marriage where two people live together as if they are married, but don’t have a certificate of registry. 
• Open marriage: A marriage where couples choose to be emotionally or sexually involved with people outside the marriage. 
• Endogamy: A marriage within a culturally defined group, such as a caste, sect, or tribe. 
• Exogamy: A marriage outside of an individual’s own group. 
• Hypergamy: When a man marries a woman of a lower social group. 
• Hypogamy: When a woman marries a man of a lower social group. 
• Serial monogamy: When a married person ends their relationship with one spouse and remarries another

Some people believe that marriage is destiny, while others believe that it is a choice. Some say that meeting the person you will marry is fate, but whether or not you marry them is a choice. Others say that marriage is always predestined

According to scriptures, life partners are destined, and our karmas determine our destiny. However, Islam4U says that marriage is not predestined, and you have free will to choose who you want as your spouse

Sadhguru explains that marriage should not be a social prescription but an individual choice based on the needs of each person. He also touches on live-in relationships, divorce and how a marriage ceremony should be conducted

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