I think marriage is overrated. Just a construct of society.
You can have kids with a partner, but really no reason to formalize it with “marriage”. I guess there are tax reasons though that make it more logical though.
But if nothing else, marriage is an agreement that you’re not just gonna nope out when there’s adversity or when something better comes along. It’s a powerful mutual gesture.
If you aren’t compelled by that idea, there’s someone out there who will. Maybe you have to dump your current 6-year-long situationship to go look for them, but hey, it’s not like you’re married. ;)
> an agreement that you’re not just gonna nope out when there’s adversity or when something better comes along.
This has zero legal binding whatsoever while having exit clauses that statistically heavily favor women even in cases where they are the ones initiating. While it may make sense on a case by case basis, its a statistically terrible decision to bet on
You nailed it: there is power in that mutual gesture - it creates a bond that pushes both parties to work through challenges instead of just noping out with a break up. There's a reason they call it "tying the knot".
Source: A 40-year old who has no interest in marriage and only saw it as an "antiquated social construct" when I was younger. I learned there's more to it.
There's also other rights/benefits that come with it like implicit transfer of estate, access to a loved one in a hospital due to being "family", and ability to share insurance.
Tell us about your situation. How many kids do you have? How long have you been living with your partner? If you wanted to quit a job and start a company, would your partner cover your expenses?
There are the obvious legal/political rights and financial privileges that come with it that others are discussing.
But there are also subtle but real and pervasive social & community benefits to it. You are often perceived by default as "established," reliable, trustworthy when you are married, in ways you wouldn't be in an unmarried partnership.
"Just a construct of society?" Sure. So is money. Something being a social construct doesn't mean it's fake, or powerless.
You can have kids with a partner, but really no reason to formalize it with “marriage”. I guess there are tax reasons though that make it more logical though.