The good scholars with Institute for Family Studies (IFS) have given us another great article entitled “Reclaiming the Truth About Marriage.”
The author, a young woman, who has unfortunately experienced divorce in her family of origin and in her own marriage that died from her husband’s infidelity and abuse, calls on us to resist the lie that marriage is hopeless. She laments that “the sentiment that marriage is harmful to individuals has only grown in recent years.”
She adds, “Proponents of this anti-marriage culture claim that the institution of marriage is an antiquated idea, essentially useless to modern men and women.” She documents what too many of us have seen, that this sentiment is rampant across social media.
But as a young woman, she has not lost hope. And neither should we.
There are strong reasons to believe in marriage and its ability to give us a better life than singleness, serial dating and cohabitation.
First, while marriage rates have been sadly declining in America, so has the U.S. divorce rate. And most Christians marrying today have a very high likelihood of remaining relatively happily married for life. This fact should be a great encouragement.
Second, marriage continues to lead to demonstrably increased levels of happiness, as Daily Citizen has explained from cutting edge research here, here, and here.
New research from esteemed scholar Sam Peltzman, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Chicago, explains that “Being married is the most important differentiator with a 30-percentage point happy-unhappy gap over the unmarried” when compared to other socio-economic factors like age, race, sex, educational status, income and geographical location. Peltzman adds, “Conservatives are distinctly happier than liberals,” indicating married conservatives enjoy an even higher happiness dividend.
Both men and women experienced the marital happiness boost. Peltzman summarizes,
The happiness landslide comes entirely from the married. Low happiness characterizes all types of non-married. No subsequent population categorization will yield so large a difference in happiness across so many people.
Third, marriage dramatically boosts one’s financial strength. Research shows that married individuals increased their wealth each year they were married at a rate double that of their single peers. This growth was sustained over at least three decades. IFS explains that “married couples saved more, bought homes, and made more investments compared to their cohabitating counterparts.”
So, it is the type of relationship that matters, not just that there are two people contributing. Research has long shown that married couples manage and share their money much more equitably and strategically than cohabiting couples do.
Finally, marriage also leads to dramatic increases in physical health. A study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that the survival benefits of simply being married were larger for many major forms of cancer than the benefit of chemotherapy itself.
Tyler VanderWeele, a professor of biostatistics at Harvard, concluded from his careful research on human thriving,
The effects of marriage on health, happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close social relationships, and financial stability are thus profound.
VanderWeele adds, “Marriage and family thus appear to be an important pathway to human flourishing.”
Our young IFS author concludes her article, explaining,
A good marriage is a beautiful gift to individuals, families, and society. There is no choice more personally significant than committing to build a life with someone you love. Although imperfect, it remains the best environment for the development of children and the building of a lasting legacy.
She adds, “we should encourage young people to strive for marriage at the right time to the right person.”
She is right. There are ample and deeply compelling reasons to be strong advocates of marriage. We should all share this hope with the younger generation.
Related Articles and Resources
Family Scholars Explain the Current Marriage Paradox in America
New Research Shows Married Families Matter More Than Ever
Why Marriage Really Matters – 3 Focus on the Family Reports
Research Update: The Compelling Health Benefits of Marriage
Brad Wilcox Exhorts Young People to ‘Get Married’
Cohabitation Still Harmful – Even as Stigma Disappears
Don’t Believe the Modern Myth. Marriage Remains Good for Women
Don’t Believe the Modern Myth. Marriage Remains Good for Men.
Yes, Married Mothers Really Are Happier Than Unmarried and Childless Women
Married Fatherhood Makes Men Better
Marriage and the Public Good: A New Manifesto of Policy Proposals
Image from Shutterstock.
