We live in an era of generalisations about all kinds of things and marriage to my mind is a classic example. There seem to be regular studies released in all western societies telling men, in particular, that they will be healthier and live longer if they get married. Is there clear evidence to support this claim or is it merely researchers making findings to encourage us to do what nature really intends - to reproduce? Read on for a full evaluation of this theory.
One school of thought seems to believe that marriage is a win/win situation because the man and woman benefit in a number of ways. In the modern world, with two people usually working in a marriage, two incomes are a lot better than one. Although there is also another way of interpreting combined incomes – the more you earn the more debt you are able to accumulate and this is not always a good thing.
It is also said that men and women derive benefit from marriage in different ways. It is claimed that men have greater longevity, are more prosperous and enjoy greater all round well-being when married. This is partly based on the notion that men are not very good at looking after their own health and need a woman to watch over them and prompt them to see a doctor when necessary. Once again, I think this depends on the individual man. Some men are very good at looking after their own health and some are not. The same could be said about women.
However, one of the most interesting, and for men, challenging changes that have occurred since 1970 is that many women are now having greater career success than men. For instance, in the United States in 1970, 84 per cent of women 30-44 years of age were married. By the year 2007, this had changed to the extent that only 60 per cent of women in that age group were actually married. Similar trends exist across the western developed world.
This change makes marriage a much more confronting and difficult institution for men to enter. It effectively means that more women are deciding they can remain independent of men financially for as long as they like. Men no longer carry the bargaining chip of marriage offering a woman financial security that only a relationship with a man can bring. This means more men are left with no marriage prospects because they often cannot match the higher earning power and career success of the modern day woman.
We should not draw false conclusions about any marriage being better for men or women than no marriage at all. Surveys also show that a bad marriage does neither partner any long term benefit and may even result in health problems.
In my case, I have dated some high powered women in my younger years and admired them for their success and as people. Nevertheless, when it came to the crunch I decided to remain single as there seemed no way of me fitting in with their career needs and being able to follow my own career path at the same time. Then again, perhaps younger generations of men will see things differently and be more accommodating in relationships with highly successful women.
As a bachelor male, do I feel depressed or unhappy and has my physical health suffered? On balance, my life as a single male has not been perfect but it has been rewarding none-the-less. Moreover, my health is very good and unlike a lot of modern day people, married and single, I do not suffer from the modern day scourge of obesity and have a high level of fitness. Being single has given me the freedom to live life my own way. As a result, I have travelled widely and had a varied career across a number of vocations including my own businesses. Would this have been possible if I had married? I would say possibly not - as marriage is very demanding and all encompassing as a relationship. As the old saying goes, there is no such thing as a woman being a bit pregnant. Similarly, there is no such thing as being a bit married. You are either 100 per cent married or not at all.
Many other single men I know express a similar ease with being bachelors, are successful and in good physical and mental health. The same applies to a number of single women I know: they are successful in life and healthy. If you look at the issue objectively, marriage may be a state of mind and some people need it more than others. Of course the need to have children (or lack of it) can also be a major factor or non factor in marrying or staying single. Some men suffer as bachelors [http://app-products-info.webs.com] and some women suffer a feeling of loss if they never marry. However, many single people of both sexes wouldn’t swap places with married people. It could be that a positive attitude towards life is the most essential ingredient to a happy, healthy, successful and long life.
One school of thought seems to believe that marriage is a win/win situation because the man and woman benefit in a number of ways. In the modern world, with two people usually working in a marriage, two incomes are a lot better than one. Although there is also another way of interpreting combined incomes – the more you earn the more debt you are able to accumulate and this is not always a good thing.
It is also said that men and women derive benefit from marriage in different ways. It is claimed that men have greater longevity, are more prosperous and enjoy greater all round well-being when married. This is partly based on the notion that men are not very good at looking after their own health and need a woman to watch over them and prompt them to see a doctor when necessary. Once again, I think this depends on the individual man. Some men are very good at looking after their own health and some are not. The same could be said about women.
However, one of the most interesting, and for men, challenging changes that have occurred since 1970 is that many women are now having greater career success than men. For instance, in the United States in 1970, 84 per cent of women 30-44 years of age were married. By the year 2007, this had changed to the extent that only 60 per cent of women in that age group were actually married. Similar trends exist across the western developed world.
This change makes marriage a much more confronting and difficult institution for men to enter. It effectively means that more women are deciding they can remain independent of men financially for as long as they like. Men no longer carry the bargaining chip of marriage offering a woman financial security that only a relationship with a man can bring. This means more men are left with no marriage prospects because they often cannot match the higher earning power and career success of the modern day woman.
We should not draw false conclusions about any marriage being better for men or women than no marriage at all. Surveys also show that a bad marriage does neither partner any long term benefit and may even result in health problems.
In my case, I have dated some high powered women in my younger years and admired them for their success and as people. Nevertheless, when it came to the crunch I decided to remain single as there seemed no way of me fitting in with their career needs and being able to follow my own career path at the same time. Then again, perhaps younger generations of men will see things differently and be more accommodating in relationships with highly successful women.
As a bachelor male, do I feel depressed or unhappy and has my physical health suffered? On balance, my life as a single male has not been perfect but it has been rewarding none-the-less. Moreover, my health is very good and unlike a lot of modern day people, married and single, I do not suffer from the modern day scourge of obesity and have a high level of fitness. Being single has given me the freedom to live life my own way. As a result, I have travelled widely and had a varied career across a number of vocations including my own businesses. Would this have been possible if I had married? I would say possibly not - as marriage is very demanding and all encompassing as a relationship. As the old saying goes, there is no such thing as a woman being a bit pregnant. Similarly, there is no such thing as being a bit married. You are either 100 per cent married or not at all.
Many other single men I know express a similar ease with being bachelors, are successful and in good physical and mental health. The same applies to a number of single women I know: they are successful in life and healthy. If you look at the issue objectively, marriage may be a state of mind and some people need it more than others. Of course the need to have children (or lack of it) can also be a major factor or non factor in marrying or staying single. Some men suffer as bachelors [http://app-products-info.webs.com] and some women suffer a feeling of loss if they never marry. However, many single people of both sexes wouldn’t swap places with married people. It could be that a positive attitude towards life is the most essential ingredient to a happy, healthy, successful and long life.