Wendy Jessen writes in the heraldtimesonline.com:
Why do so many marriages end in divorce? Could our attitudes and views have something to do with the success or failure of our own marriages?
A study from the National Center for Family and Marriage Research explores the views of Generation X and Millennials on marital success rates. Based on the study, two out of five people (men and women) said that marriages have failed for most of the people they know. Forty to fifty percent of those who chose to cohabit at some point in their life or who are currently cohabiting, see marriage pessimistically. Interestingly, the number is much less for those who are currently married without prior cohabitation -- 22 percent.
Additionally, the majority believe that cohabiting before marriage reduces the risk of divorce, while among those who are married, only about one-third agree that cohabiting prior to marriage helps the marriage last.
Finally, those who have never been married also see divorce as a reasonable solution when a couple can't seem to work through problems. Conversely, married couples are more likely to seek other solutions to marital problems rather than use divorce as an answer to problems.
... Our perceptions are only based on our own reality -- the sum of what we have experienced throughout our lives. It's easy to make a rash judgment based on things you have heard or observed, with limited knowledge on the matter.
... If you get married with the idea that your marriage will eventually fall apart and fail, there's a good chance it will. Why make such a glum self-fulfilling prophecy? Why not go into marriage believing it will last and with the attitude and understanding that marriages take work? If your view of marriage is pessimistic, you'll likely find many reasons to support your theory. The opposite is also true.
Are you pessimistic about marriage success?
By Wendy Jessen of FamilyShare at heraldtimesonline.com via the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Based on "Generation X and Millennials Attitudes Toward Marriage & Divorce" (2015) by Kasey J. Eickmeyer at the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University.
Comments