1) marriage will make you happy. If you aren’t already happy when single, being married is not going to change that.
2) Living together is just like being married without a marriage license. Nope. Studies show that couples that live together are less committed, emotionally and financially. And then there are the benefits try claiming your housemate on your insurance. And if something happens to him, and he didn’t leave a will, try collecting on the insurance or claiming the property. His family has more legal rights than you do!
3) The lovemaking is better. Not true, according to research. Married couples have more and better lovemaking than their counterparts who aren’t married. You can only lose interest in making love with your partner when you are no longer committed to making the Marriage work.
4) A woman is more said to be a victim of domestic violence if she is married. Oh, quite the contrary. Men who are married are less likely to be violent because they are psychologically more vested in their marriages.
5) Couples that lived together before marriage are more likely to have a longer-lasting marriage. Just the opposite. That’s what the studies show. The thing is that people who live together are skittish in the first place about marriage, so the first time a major conflict comes up, they are more likely to call it quiet and “go back to the way it was.”
6) The more educated a woman is, the more likely she is to not get married in the first place. Not true. They just wait longer and are more likely to find a husband than their less educated friends at the same age.
7) The key to a successful marriage is love, commitment, sacrifices, and luck. According to research, the most common reasons married couples stay together are commitment and companionship. The happiest couples are truly best friends to each other and share interests and values.
8) Having kids will bring a couple together. Not always true. Ask those that still divorced their partners after 6, 8, or 10 years of marriage. Wanting the best for your children is often the reason behind a lot of couples splitting up. And often a child has the effect of pushing the mom and dad apart, as the man is not getting the attention he is used to, and second, having a baby adds stress to a household.
9) Marriage benefits the man more than the woman. Not true. Men and women benefit pretty equally, except on different levels. An unrecorded study shows that married men are more likely to be healthier, while woman feels more secure financially.
The bottom line is that marriage is a big step. It is not going to cure a couple’s problems, but it can be a pathway to lifelong happiness and joy.