Categorized | Advice, Featured, Marriage

The Five Best Reasons to Get Married

Posted on 19 September 2008 by cory

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With the trend of men getting married later and later in life, perhaps you are wondering if it’s a good idea for you to put off marriage as well.  Before you decide to put it off any longer, read on.  There are at least five solid reasons to get married.

Sex. Married couples have sex more often, and report a higher rate of sexual satisfaction, according to the National Marriage Project.  This applies even as couples get older, into their mid-40’s and early 50’s.  This is a result of a number of factors including an evolving sense of trust, the absence of guilt for religious couples, security in the relationship, security in physical needs being met, a deeper understanding of what partners like and, well, proximity.

Health.  All jokes about grey hair and stress aside, men who are married live an average of 10 years longer than those who are not married.  Not only that, but their quality of life and health goes up as well.  Sociologist Linda Waite’s research shows that men who are married engage in fewer risky behaviors, like drinking or dangerous hobbies and careers.  Married men also eat more healthily and see the doctor more often.

Higher rate of happiness. Michael Kimmel, a sociologist at State University of New York, recently wrote a book illustrating this point.  Even though so many men are choosing to marry later and later in life, often in their mid-30’s or early 40’s, these men are unhappy.  Dr. Kimmel’s work across the last three decades has shown that men are higher achieving when they are married.  It’s easy to be healthy when you’re healthy, have a high income, and experience a high degree of sexual satisfaction.

Tax & Financial benefits. A single residence, shared health insurance and other benefits, insurance breaks, and automatic inheritance rights give married couples big legal advantages when it comes to money.  In addition, according to 2006 tax data, middle class married couples save an average of $1300 per year on taxes (the so-called “marriage penalty” mostly applies to those with very high or very low incomes).  Finally, married couples tend to have higher incomes than single couples.  Marriage increases incomes by about $1800 for each year of marriage.

Love.  There’s something to be said for tradition.  Standing in front of witnesses and publicly declaring your formal commitment to your new bride says a lot about what kind of man you are and how you view your relationship with your partner.  If you really love your partner, marriage is one very powerful way of showing her that your commitment is for real, and invites her to do the same.

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    7 Comments For This Post

    1. Paul Mac Says:

      I think you’ve left off one of the most important: having and raising children!

    2. Russ Says:

      Sex.. yes, good.

      Wait, there’s more?!

    3. VegasDad Says:

      All so true.

    4. Hayden Tompkins Says:

      “Sex. Married couples have sex more often, and report a higher rate of sexual satisfaction, according to the National Marriage Project”

      That’s what I’m talking about!

    5. cory Says:

      I love it. No arguments here. So, if all of you agree, and there’s no detractors, what about all of those guys who won’t get married? Do they not know this stuff, or is something else going on?

    6. Jeremy Says:

      I really like and identify with the “happiness” benefit of marriage, as well as security and stability. There is tremendous peace in knowing that you’ll have that person by your side through thick and thin.

    7. Shula Says:

      The studies you quote in your article seem to bear out my belief that the knowledge a husband gains of his wife’s heart and body over their years of marriage doesn’t mean boredom, it means expertise. I love entrusting my body to the care of my expert husband! Meow.

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