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In fact, we consider a marriage successful if it ends in the death of one of the partners.
by gramie 2y ago
In fact, we consider a marriage successful if it ends in the death of one of the partners.
- microtherion 2y agoThat's certainly a theory that Bluebeard would subscribe to.
- mikepurvis 2y agoThere are lots of possible definitions for success— making it until death parts you is the obvious one, but "success" can also be producing fruit in terms of community, family, or even career. And there are of course marriages that make it until death, but the partners and everyone around them spend the whole time miserable; that's hardly a success either.
- shiroiushi 2y ago>And there are of course marriages that make it until death, but the partners and everyone around them spend the whole time miserable; that's hardly a success either. Maybe according to your personal opinion, but the general opinion of society at large has been, for centuries if not longer, that these miserable marriages were in fact "successful" because they kept the two people married which was apparently much more important for various reasons (like religion or social stability) than whether the people involved were actually happy or not, which was not considered important at all until recent years. I think society is going through a lot of "growing pains" now because of this change in attitude and the idea now that people's happiness is of prime importance in a relationship.
- mikepurvis 2y agoYes, that is a good point. I don't think it's my "personal opinion", but yes, the rise of people breaking up marriages because they aren't happy or fulfilled enough is definitely a phenomenon of the last hundred years or so; there's much less of a sense of duty to family, community, or God in any of it, and there's arguments to be made there around gender roles as well. That said, I think another factor that's stressed modern marriage is longer life expectancy arising from better diet, healthcare, and working conditions. Even a few hundred years ago lots of marriages might last only a decade or two on account of a partner falling fatally ill or dying in childbirth in their thirties or forties. Nowaways a couple in their thirties are staring down the possibility of five more decades together and it's a lot more reasonable to feel like your whole life is ahead of you still and maybe you want to do the corresponding soul-searching around who will be your companion for such a long period of time.
- AlchemistCamp 2y agoThere are definitely multiple failure modes, for sure. That said, if you take vows to spend the rest of your life with someone and then don't do so, then at least the marriage itself failed, though the years you spent with your spouse may not have been a total failure.
- DonHopkins 2y agoMaybe that's that Hans Reiser thought, but an amicable divorce also has its advantages.
- CalRobert 2y agoIs this still true? If I knew a couple that had a great ten years but then decided that it was time to part ways on friendly terms for whatever reason, maybe continue being great coparents, I'm not sure I'd consider it unsuccessful.
- ndriscoll 2y agoThis roughly describes my parents. Speaking from the perspective of the child, I'd say that is probably not success. It's probably closer to lots of acute behavioral issues along with some lifelong damage.
- CalRobert 2y agoSorry to hear that. My own parents divorced and it was very much for the best, but their marriage wasn't great beforehand (hardly a surprise given that they got divorced of course!)
- ndriscoll 2y agoIt was perhaps for the best, but I'd still call that "a failure that could've gone worse" as opposed to "success".