Thoughts about Marriage
Marriage, in most cases, is a cultural and social situation two or more people adopt to support a family structure or gain social acceptance.There are cultures that predetermine whom you will marry from a very young age and cultures that make no such plans.
There are cultures that require you to be monogamous and others that rely on polygamy. There are a wide range of sub-cultural deviations as well.
As animals (yes we are animals, Omnivores to be more accurate) our defining goal in life is to reproduce to create a genetic offspring.
Before social structures, we reproduced with any fertile human being of the opposite gender. Our need to propagate our genetic line mandated that we assure our offspring's safety and well-being until they reached reproductive maturity. As society gained strength the sure fire way to do this was to marry or exclusively remain with your reproductive mate. Society recognized the effectiveness of this trend and it gained popularity.
Many marriages are not done because of love.
Love is one reason for marriage when your reproductive drive has been fulfilled. It is a way to have intimacy with the partner of your choice. As our longevity extends past our reproductive prime we marry for reasons other than rearing our offspring.
At some point in the future; when our lifespans are greatly extended; reproductive abilities no longer require mating and offspring are nurtured by society there may be a trend of no marriage or marriage by time contract. If we live to 300 years, Marriage will have little motivation other than love.
Our lifespans worldwide are currently 83.7 years at max for both sexes.
This is well past our s*xual prime and child-bearing ability.
Thus, Marriage is starting to lose its significance already.
Most willing marriages are a contract between two or more people. Most are monogamous and based on religious belief systems and cultural stipulations or society standards. This is why "official" marriages are performed by a religious or state entity. The contract is written and sanctioned as a proof of commitment and dedication by all parties involved. To end such a marriage requires that "official" contract to be voided.
The commitment and dedication to the other(s) is the personal aspect of marriage. It is based on mutual agreement to honestly hold your word and intent.
Over time, changes in our priorities can change how we feel about the one we dedicated/pledged ourselves to. We are faced with either embracing those changes or removing those changes from our lives.
The marriage that thrives is composed of personalities that accept those changes and tolerates them. It happens all the time.
The marriage that continues past that acceptance level on anyone's part is usually filled with misery and despair. Those marriages do not thrive and are often ended in some hostile way.
Before entering into a marriage, all parties involved must know their own intention and understand the level of their commitment to the other(s) and believe their partner(s) pledge to that same commitment.
The contract of marriage, as currently socially accepted where I live, is for the duration of life. It is assumed that it is based on love.
When it is not based on love the contract needs an agreed upon expiration.