4 ms·

This article is about women, but I believe the same relationship is seen (perhaps even more strongly) in men. My cynical view is that healthier people are more

This article is about women, but I believe the same relationship is seen (perhaps even more strongly) in men. My cynical view is that healthier people are more likely to attract spouses - in other words, that causality runs in the other direction than the commentaries usually imply.

_gmax0 4y ago
Earlier this year I was curious if I could live life as a single male for the rest of my life in a capitalistic Western society that tends to frame many issues from a partisan-listic perspective. I'm no sociologist and did not apply any critical analysis to these works, but most of the literature and surveys I found on this topic suggested that men fare worse than women on health outcomes when it comes to marital/romantic singlehood. The speculative cause was that these women possessed deeper friendships than those men, who tended to be more isolated, especially in later stages of life.
- lockhouse 4y ago
  I think that’s a pretty honest assessment. Data point of one, but my friendships are not nearly as close or deep as those of my wife’s. Additionally, if I got divorced, I’m pretty sure I won’t marry again and the only close relationships I am likely to have later in life are with my children and possibly grandchildren (if they bless me with any).
- ip26 4y ago
  Wives also stereotypically are the ones making their partner go see a doctor about that shooting pain in their chest instead of ignoring it.
- prawn 4y ago
  A married men attains the benefits of a wife promoting a social calendar with her (at least in my case) more numerous friends. This might also be true for anyone in a relationship at all - having a broader circle of friends, and thus social life.
  - xyzelement 4y ago
    If I read this when I was single, I'd think it's horrible. Now that I am a bit older and married I deeply appreciate this. It's also another reason to marry someone a bit different than you - they bring you things you need.
guiambros 4y ago
The article touches on both points you make: "Our study’s sample population—mostly white and relatively well-off professional women deciding about marriage in the early 1990s—does limit the conclusions we can draw from it with confidence. For instance, our all-female sample cannot tell us anything about the effects of marriage on men. More rigorous work in this area is needed, since prior research indicates that marriage promotes men’s longevity and health even more strongly than women’s."

_gmax0 4y ago

Earlier this year I was curious if I could live life as a single male for the rest of my life in a capitalistic Western society that tends to frame many issues from a partisan-listic perspective. I'm no sociologist and did not apply any critical analysis to these works, but most of the literature and surveys I found on this topic suggested that men fare worse than women on health outcomes when it comes to marital/romantic singlehood. The speculative cause was that these women possessed deeper friendships than those men, who tended to be more isolated, especially in later stages of life.

lockhouse 4y ago
I think that’s a pretty honest assessment. Data point of one, but my friendships are not nearly as close or deep as those of my wife’s. Additionally, if I got divorced, I’m pretty sure I won’t marry again and the only close relationships I am likely to have later in life are with my children and possibly grandchildren (if they bless me with any).
ip26 4y ago
Wives also stereotypically are the ones making their partner go see a doctor about that shooting pain in their chest instead of ignoring it.
prawn 4y ago
A married men attains the benefits of a wife promoting a social calendar with her (at least in my case) more numerous friends. This might also be true for anyone in a relationship at all - having a broader circle of friends, and thus social life.
- xyzelement 4y ago
  If I read this when I was single, I'd think it's horrible. Now that I am a bit older and married I deeply appreciate this. It's also another reason to marry someone a bit different than you - they bring you things you need.

guiambros 4y ago

The article touches on both points you make: "Our study’s sample population—mostly white and relatively well-off professional women deciding about marriage in the early 1990s—does limit the conclusions we can draw from it with confidence. For instance, our all-female sample cannot tell us anything about the effects of marriage on men. More rigorous work in this area is needed, since prior research indicates that marriage promotes men’s longevity and health even more strongly than women’s."