Is marrage irrational?

[Eran of Arcadia]

No, marriage is a social convention and thus cannot be said to go against our social fabric. Marriage as a concept has taken many forms but has existed in a lot of cultures.

 

[skadistic]

No, marriage is a social convention and thus cannot be said to go against our social fabric. Marriage as a concept has taken many forms but has existed in a lot of cultures.

Marriage is relitvely new concept for humanity. Monagamus Marriage is itself not the be all end all standard. The Morman and ME polygamy (and others) is closer to the alpha male natural respounce of mating.

 

[Shylock]

I think it's irrational to think people can love each other mutually.

One can love someone else, but how can both share the same feelings?

 

[Xanikk999]

I think it's irrational to think people can love each other mutually.

One can love someone else, but how can both share the same feelings?

Why do you think that? Have you never seen a successful marriage?

 

[skadistic]

Why do you think that? Have you never seen a successful marriage?

Even a successful marige is full of lies, omisions, and infadelity.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Even a successful marige is full of lies, omisions, and infadelity.

I'd can't agree with you on any of those counts. If one of those happens, the marriage is a failure.

 

[skadistic]

I'd can't agree with you on any of those counts. If one of those happens, the marriage is a failure.

Then the vast majority are failures.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Hmm, you seem to have access to data that the rest of us don't, concerning the unhappiness you seem to think is part of marriage.

And furthermore, if humans are naturally polygamous, why would they attempt a monogamous institution in the first place? If society is a human construct, its values are going to reflect human nature.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Then the vast majority are failures.

Bingo!

Ten char.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Even a successful marriage is full of lies, omissions, and infidelity.

No more than any human relationship - we all lie or omit things in conversations with everyone, probably less so in marriage. And you need to understand that 21st century America and Western Europe are not the only cultures in which marriage has occurred, and probably not the best examples.

 

[JerichoHill]

The divorce rate went up when women started working, because then they had income, or a way to get income, and that allowed them to get out of failed marriages.

As for rational, yes its a rational decision. It's called "Search Cost"

Read some Gary Becker or something, geez

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Bear in mind, like I said, that is only the divorce rate in the West in the past few decades - a very small sampling of marriage.

 

[JerichoHill]

I just think this is plain silly, talking about if marriage is rational or not, acting as if we know the exact nature of love.

It likely depends on the people involved. Some people want to get married and settle down, others want to roam. For some that time comes when theyre twenty, others it comes when theyre 50

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Hmm, I'm only here for the anthropology. I know not of this "love" of which you speak.

 

[Perfection]

Marriage is institutionalized sexism.

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

I think marrage is irrational. I believe so because when you marry somebody you are promising two things; that you'll love each other forever, and that you won't fall in love with anybody else for the rest of your life, neither of which I think anybody can know for sure.

So what do you think? Is marrage irrational or not?

Marriage is only irrational in that it is eminently advantageous for a woman but has no advantage to a man. A man's responsibilities increase markedly when he becomes a husband, especially financial, whereas a wife's responsibility is hardly anything at all. The notion of two people being committed to each other isn't irrational, it's how it's carried out that's irrational these days.

 

[CaptainF]

Marriage is only irrational in that it is eminently advantageous for a woman but has no advantage to a man. A man's responsibilities increase markedly when he becomes a husband, especially financial, whereas a wife's responsibility is hardly anything at all. The notion of two people being committed to each other isn't irrational, it's how it's carried out that's irrational these days.

Preach the truth!

Plus, if a man gets divorce, he can lose everything he's worked for, unless he was smart and signed a pre-nup.

Thus far, I really don't see the point of corrupting what may be love between two people with all that bureaucracy and other BS.

To quote Ambrose Bierce:

Marriage, n. The state or condition of a community consisting of a master, a mistress and two slaves, making in all, two.

 

[GenMarshall]

Hmm, I'm only here for the anthropology. I know not of this "love" of which you speak.

The concept of "wub" confuses and infuriates me!!!

 

[ComradeDavo]

Marriage is the ultimate commitement to someone, if it's done after a long peroid of being together and certainanty form both parties then no, I don't think it'sirrational.

 

[CurtSibling]

Two people falling in love and wanting to be together is one of the most natural things about the human experience. The extensive cultural, religious baggage we add on to it are all optional however.

Bozo puts it perfectly, so I feel no need to repeat this true axiom.

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