According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center on U.S. Census Data, the percentage of American adults getting married has dropped to a record low. I think this a good thing.
I believe these numbers are a sign that single adults are starting to take marriage more seriously and they are no longer rushing blindly into something that will ultimately blow up in their face if they are unprepared for it.
It’s not that people are against marriage, in fact the majority of single adults polled admitted that they still wanted to get married. It’s just that, now more than ever they are realizing that picking the wrong person for the wrong reason will ultimately land them in Divorce Court, a place where no one wins.
I believe it is this awareness that is making single adults think with their heads and not just with their hearts.
Unfortunately those adults who have already been married are no longer as optimistic about living “happily ever after.” And I can’t say I blame them. Only 26% of those adults who have been previously married would consider getting married again.
Imagine if you went out to eat Sushi and soon after you wound up in the hospital with a severe case of food poisoning. Would you rush out the next day and order another sushi deluxe platter? Probably not.
You’d have every right to avoid eating sushi again because your past experience wasn’t very good.
This is how many adults who have been previously divorced look at marriage. Because of their bad experience they have formed a generalized opinion on the institution of marriage itself.
Is this opinion a fair representation of marriage? I don’t think so.
I believe this is where marriage gets a bad rap. Because in most instances most divorced people will openly admit that, they rushed into marriage or they ignored the red flags which ultimately caused their marriage to collapse.
That is why I believe the decreasing marriage rates will ultimately lead to healthier and stronger marriages.
The statistics back up my belief. Those individuals who delay marriage and who are better prepared emotionally, financially and socially have successful marriages.
In fact, the study revealed that individuals with higher education who delayed marriage until later in life had stronger and more fulfilling marriages while those from lower socioeconomic environments had record high divorce rates.
Marriage is a partnership between two people and the better prepared both individuals are for it and the more they can work together and communicate with each other the more they increase their chances of having a happy and fulfilling marriage.
And if you’re going to get married, why would you even consider any other kind?