Marriage

Thoughts on marriage

Marriage: An Antiquated Ideal We Still Desire  

Marriage exists today as a curious paradox—simultaneously dismissed as a relic of more traditional times yet pursued with remarkable persistence across generations and cultures. The institution itself has roots in practices that many modern individuals would reject: property transfers, political alliances, and patriarchal ownership structures that treated women as assets rather than equal partners. These foundations seem jarringly out of place in our world of individual autonomy, where relationships are increasingly defined by emotional fulfillment rather than social or economic necessity. Yet despite declaring marriage outdated, we continue to reimagine rather than abandon it. Same-sex marriage rights, prenuptial agreements tailoring financial terms, and the rise of personalized ceremonies all represent attempts to reform rather than replace the institution. When questioned, many cite practical benefits—tax advantages, legal protections, healthcare access—but these explanations often feel incomplete. The deeper truth may be that humans still crave the symbolic commitment that marriage represents: a public declaration that someone has chosen to build their life alongside yours, not just for today but with the intention of permanence. In a culture that increasingly celebrates flexibility and transience, perhaps the antiquated nature of marriage—its very rigidity and formality—is precisely what gives it enduring appeal. We may have outgrown many of marriage’s original purposes, but the desire for belonging, for witnessed commitment, and for building something lasting remains stubbornly embedded in our social consciousness.