(U= unmarried; M= married)
Companionship
“I think marriage is now not as much of a necessity, whether it’s the whole female liberation/sperm donor thing. So I think that those who never meet someone who may rock their boat do not have as much pressure to enter into marriage. BUT I think that people still have a need for companionship. And, as friends get married and become more focused on their own spouses and children, I think that people turn toward their own relationships and marriage to fill the void left by others. It’s kind of like, well, I guess everyone else does it, now I will too and have couples dinners and all of that cutesy stuff. Stupid desire for companions! Meanwhile, I’ll probably turn around the minute I fall in love and be like, what, I never said that!” (U)
“People get married because they don’t want to live alone.” (M)
“Why is marriage so important? Companionship. The main, and I think only, thing.” (M)
Belief
“Marriage is for those who believe in the concept. If you don’t believe, marriage will not benefit you in any way. It’s like, for someone, one stone can be God. But for someone else, it’s a rock you can flick into the sea. If you believe, it will give you a partner, someone who you can share your happiness and sorrows with.” (M)
“To the individual, marriage provides both financial and practical incentives. But it’s the IDEA of marriage I think, which provides even more for the individual, and ensures that we keep doing it–it’s the sense of security that in a world we can’t control, here is this promise that we can make to control one important part of our lives–who we spend it with. I imagine that’s why arranged marriages that are common in some cultures can work out just as well as marriages based on “romantic love”–because the benefits and the significance extend beyond just “romance”. (U)
Change
“The meaning of marriage has changed because children know themselves more than we knew ourselves. They’re more independent, have more freedom. Education exposes them to a lot of things we weren’t exposed to. The traditional value of marriage is lost.” (M)
“The idea of marriage is the same, only the time has changed and hence the way of living has changed. Marriages have become a more liberal concept. Womanizing has increased, women and men both flirt outside their marriage. Experimenting has increased. It’s not what it was supposed to be: a communion of two people.” (M)
“The marriage concept has changed because people’s belief is lost. They always compare their marriage to their parents’, and hence don’t want to fall into the same trap.” (M)
“Marriage today has become like fashion. People get into it without thinking, just because people around them are doing it. The new generation has gone through changes we could not even foresee. People have sex before marriage, have children before marriage, and walk out as and when they change their mind. The real meaning of marriage has changed because the belief is lost. That age is gone where people faced life together. Now people figure out life, live it, and then marry if they please to kill what’s left of it.” (M)
“I definitely think the definition of marriage is shifting. As people have become more modern, the idea of children outside of wedlock isn’t so crazy (though my mom may kill me if she knows I think this). So for me the focus is no longer looking at someone as a potential ‘babypoppa’ but more as the best/most suitable companion for life. So, I don’t see it as a need to get married before all my good eggs dry up (I may just freeze my eggs at some point). And I don’t see marriage as an essential ingredient in my life. I would like companionship, whether that’s inside or outside of marriage, doesn’t really matter.” (U)
Commitment
“To get married is important because humans only understand when they are bound, and when they have to do something. When there is no escape, you will work hard on it. If you’re married, you are ready to compromise. When you are married, you are obligated. The title/relation makes you do something or work harder.” (M)
“It’s symbolic of a commitment between a couple. A commitment to stay together through thick or thin, be devoted to this one person you love for the rest of your life. I know people can do that without the formalities of a marriage but I really don’t see why these people have a problem with undergoing this cultural, religious, and legal bond, unless of course they aren’t fully committed to it!” (U)
