âMarriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?â â Groucho Marx
For a lot of people, marriage seems like the end all, be all of life. Society seems to agree: to get ahead in life, you have to get married. Well, that isnât altogether true.
According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, âDelayed marriage has elevated the socioeconomic status of women, especially more privileged women and their partners, allowed women to reach other life goals, and reduced the odds of divorce for couples now marrying in the United States.â
Getting married should be something that happens to you if youâre in love, not something to make as a life goal. Here are some of the best reasons that marriage isnât required for you to get ahead in life.
Here Are 5 Reasons You Donât Need to Be Married to Get Ahead in Life
1. You donât need someone to complete you
As a society, we tend to put a lot of emphasis on finding your soulmate and getting married. The idea is that everyone is one half of a whole, and that there is someone out there just for them. While thatâs nice to think about, it doesnât have to be true for you, especially if you donât want it to be!
Marriage is nice, but you donât need someone to complete you. You are a full person, two halves of your own whole. Focusing on enjoying your life as it is doesnât make you any less amazing than someone who chooses to get married. Donât worry about looking for someone to complete you. Youâre already complete.
2. Focusing on your career is valid
According to Richard Settersten and Barbara E. Ray, authors of âNot Quite Adultsâ, âYoung adults today are not ready to get married until they get all their ducks in a row.â For some people, their work is their life. For people who have high-demand jobs like lawyers and doctors, trying to find time to get married seems like just too much work. And thatâs fine!
Having friends or casual, romantic partners to fill your life is a valid choice to make. Sometimes, your career is the thing that brings you the most joy in life. If you love your job and want to focus on doing the very best you can every single day, then you donât have to worry about getting married. If marriage isnât for you, it wonât hold you back in life.
3. Thereâs more to life than just marriage
Some people are led to believe that the end goal in everyoneâs life should be marriage. We all know, however, that there are so many more things in life to strive for. Marriage can be one of your goals, but it doesnât have to be your only goal. If your goal in life is to climb a mountain, or paint a masterpiece, or learn the piano, thatâs okay! Of course, always have back up goals for when you finally achieve your lifeâs work.
4. Marriage doesnât always last forever
No one likes to think about divorce. But the truth of the matter is, people change throughout their lives. Two people who got married may not feel the same way about one another ten years down the line. Thatâs normal, and something a lot of people experience. If you think that youâre not going to be happy in your marriage forever, itâs okay not to get married. You donât need to have a marriage to make your life perfect. Getting ahead in life doesnât require that you tie yourself to a marriage youâre not 100% sure of.
5. Marriage is just a piece of paper
Marriage can be an amazing and wonderful joining of two lives into one. Marriage can be the start of a family. That is true for a lot of people, but not true for everyone. For some people, marriage is just a piece of paper that declares tax benefits.
Donât be afraid of living your life without marriage. You donât need it to get ahead in life – you can do that all on your own. Taking charge of your life is possible even without marriage. All you need is to create goals and take steps to achieve them. Donât be afraid if marriage isnât one of your goals – you can live a fulfilling life without it.
Final thoughts
For some people, marriage is the dream. For others, marriage just isnât on their radar. Society may have you believe that marriage is what you need to get ahead in life, but that isnât true. Marriage should be something that you should do only if you are truly ready to get married. If you think your life would be better off surrounded by friends, family and work, then thatâs a perfectly valid way to live.
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