The Fallacy of Marriage

"Advice to Those About to Marry: Don't" - Punch Magazine

This quote emphasizes my current feelings on the entire issue of people getting married to one another. There are quite a few reasons why a person should closely exam his or her mate before deciding something as legally and morally bounding as marriage. I have recently come to my own personal conclusion that there needs to be more than one logical reason for two people to become joined by law and that marriage shouldn't rely solely on "love" or just the whim of the moment.

One of my first main reasons why people shouldn't marry is the extinction of monogamous relationships. Lately, it seems as though everyone thinks that it's human nature for people to cheat on their spouses. Whether it's the man's or the woman's fault, cheating is wrong in every sense of the modern world. However, that doesn't stop the mass majorities. The proof is in the fifty percent of marriages that fail due to the lack of commitment.

Another reason why most people shouldn't become married is because they are only physically attracted to each other. External beauty only lasts for a little while; sooner or later, one's husband or wife is going to become old, fat, bald, wrinkled, hairy, and decrepit. The quote "love at first sight" usually depends upon outside beauty. Unfortunately, most young relationships are centered around looks and attractiveness. They ignore or allow exceptions in each other's personalities due to how much they like one another's outward appearance. Then, after they are both married for a matter of time, the physical bond fades away and the "real" person inside comes out.

An additional not-so-obvious problem with getting married is having to live with someone twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and not get sick and tired of him or her. It requires an extreme amount of patience to deal with a person's annoying little habits and not go flying off the handle. At first, they may seem cute or even adorable. Eventually, however, the spouse might become downright obnoxious.